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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. scale — size or range
  7. row — to paddle
  8. degree — temperature
  9. row — a line
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pound — a weight
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. degree — an amount
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. degree — from a university
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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