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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 116 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. kick — in football
  3. field — a subject
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stock — goods
  7. field — farmland
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. field — for sport
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. suit — to fit
  17. snap — to click
  18. suit — clothes
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bowl — to roll

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