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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. spring — the season
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. spring — of water
  9. net — for catching
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stock — goods
  13. game — wild animals
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. game — a match
  22. stock — shares
  23. net — after costs
  24. spring — a coil

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