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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. stock — goods
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cold — not warm
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. stock — shares
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pit — a hole

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