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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stock — goods
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. squash — to crush
  5. fork — in a road
  6. land — to come down
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stock — shares
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. present — the time now
  13. land — a country
  14. present — there
  15. ball — a great time
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. squash — the sport
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. land — ground
  24. ball — a dance

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