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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a music group
  13. ground — the earth
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stock — goods
  16. rash — hasty
  17. band — a ring
  18. ground — crushed
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rash — a series
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stock — shares
  24. rash — on the skin

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