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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. root — of a word
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stock — shares
  9. squash — the sport
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. root — the cause
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. root — of a plant
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. field — a subject

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