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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. squash — to crush
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bass — low music
  8. can — a tin
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. squash — the sport
  16. hand — help
  17. scale — in music
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — the fish

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