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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. land — to come down
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. land — ground
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. field — farmland
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. ground — a position
  13. plane — a tool
  14. field — for sport
  15. rule — government
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. ground — the earth
  20. land — a country
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rule — a law
  23. field — a subject
  24. stock — shares

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