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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. degree — temperature
  3. season — of the year
  4. bank — of a river
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bank — for money
  7. stock — shares
  8. roll — a list
  9. stock — goods
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. degree — from a university
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pitch — completely

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