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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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rest — what's left
  4. key — in music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stock — goods
  7. bear — the animal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. key — for a lock
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bear — the animal
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stock — shares
  24. racket — for tennis

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