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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. field — a subject
  4. stock — goods
  5. bank — of a river
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stock — shares
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. field — for sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. bore — to drill
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. ball — a great time
  21. field — farmland
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bank — for money

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