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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. toast — bread
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. field — a subject
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. field — for sport
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stock — shares
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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