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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. staff — employees
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wind — moving air
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. squash — the sport
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. race — humankind
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stock — shares
  16. saw — the tool
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. squash — to crush
  20. staff — employees
  21. wind — moving air
  22. saw — the tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. staff — a stick

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