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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. object — a thing
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. track — to keep track
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. content — happy
  11. stock — goods
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stock — shares
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. object — to protest
  16. track — a path
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. object — an aim
  19. mark — a grade
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. track — a song
  24. content — the amount

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