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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. charge — in control
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tube — the underground
  10. can — a tin
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — electricity
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. charge — a price
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitch — completely
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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