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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cue — for pool
  4. field — for sport
  5. stock — shares
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stock — goods
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mark — a grade
  11. field — farmland
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. row — a line
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. field — a subject
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bound — certain
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. row — a quarrel

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