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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mug — a face
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stock — shares
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mug — to rob
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. saw — the tool
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. scale — in music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stock — goods

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