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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pop — to visit
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pop — music
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stock — goods
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stock — shares
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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