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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. drill — the tool
  6. track — a song
  7. ground — a position
  8. track — to keep track
  9. swing — to play on
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. drill — army training
  12. stock — shares
  13. board — to get on
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. swing — music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. swing — in golf
  20. board — a committee
  21. drill — a practice
  22. deal — to handle
  23. track — a path
  24. ground — the earth

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