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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stock — goods
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stock — shares
  6. bat — the animal
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cue — for pool
  16. lean — to bend
  17. race — humankind
  18. lean — thin
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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