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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pit — in a race
  5. roll — a list
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. field — a subject
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pit — a hole
  11. toast — bread
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stock — goods
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. race — humankind
  19. field — farmland
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. stock — shares
  23. wake — a trail
  24. field — for sport

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