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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stock — shares
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. branch — a division
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stock — goods
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rash — a series
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stem — to come from
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. ruler — a monarch

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