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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mine — for digging
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stock — goods
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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