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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. squash — the sport
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stock — goods
  16. squash — to crush
  17. row — to paddle
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rock — music
  23. stock — shares
  24. row — a line

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