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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. stock — goods
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fall — to drop
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pass — a permit
  8. march — music
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. fall — the season
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. march — the month
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. march — the month
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pound — a weight

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