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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fall — the season
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ball — a great time
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mark — a grade
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stock — goods
  11. hand — in cards
  12. game — a match
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. hand — help
  17. game — wild animals
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stock — shares
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. patient — a sick person

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