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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stock — shares
  3. content — happy
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. charge — a price
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stock — goods
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. charge — electricity
  13. content — the amount
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stand — to bear
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cell — a phone
  22. charge — in control
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mouse — the animal

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