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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stock — shares
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. key — in music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. key — for a lock
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bass — low music
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stock — goods
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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