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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. chip — for betting
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bass — low music
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. chip — to eat
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bass — the fish
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stock — goods
  15. mine — for digging
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rest — a break
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stock — shares

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