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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stock — shares
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. season — in sport
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stock — goods
  7. land — to come down
  8. tube — the underground
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. land — ground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. land — a country
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. tube — a container
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. season — of the year
  24. saw — the tool

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