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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fine — all right
  4. stock — goods
  5. mug — a cup
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rest — a break
  12. root — of a word
  13. rest — what's left
  14. root — the cause
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stock — shares
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pitch — completely
  22. mug — a face
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stock — a soup base

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