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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. stock — shares
  4. swing — music
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stock — goods
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cell — a phone
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. sharp — clever

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