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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stock — goods
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pitch — completely
  7. band — a ring
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. craft — boats
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. band — a music group
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rash — a series
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. band — a rubber band

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