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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. board — to get on
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stock — shares
  6. file — a line of people
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. row — a line
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mug — to rob
  19. row — to paddle
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. board — a committee
  22. stock — goods
  23. mug — a cup
  24. ball — a great time

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