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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lean — thin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ball — a great time
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. stock — shares
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. capital — a city
  11. lean — to bend
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. capital — money
  17. field — farmland
  18. fine — all right
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com