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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pit — a hole
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. ground — the earth
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. ground — a position
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pit — in a race
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stock — shares
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mouse — the animal
  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