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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. mine — for digging
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rule — a law
  13. club — for golf
  14. track — a path
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. club — a group
  17. stock — shares
  18. chest — a box
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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