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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. perch — the fish
  8. ground — a position
  9. rest — what's left
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ground — the earth
  12. current — electric
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rest — a break
  16. stock — goods
  17. date — the fruit
  18. stock — shares
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. current — of water
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. current — happening now

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