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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. patient — calm and waiting
  2. stock — shares
  3. mug — a cup
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stock — goods
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bank — for money
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mug — a face
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bank — for money
  22. pit — in a race
  23. plane — a tool
  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