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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. firm — decided
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stock — goods
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. march — the month
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. firm — a company
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stock — shares
  14. march — the month
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. firm — steady
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. march — music
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. racket — a loud noise

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