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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. face — to point toward
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. prune — to trim
  20. face — to confront
  21. stock — goods
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mine — for digging

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