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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. spring — of water
  3. fall — to drop
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stock — shares
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. can — to be able to
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. can — a tin
  15. spring — the season
  16. stock — goods
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. can — a tin
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spring — a coil
  22. deal — to handle
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. arm — a part of something

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