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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stock — shares
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. club — a group
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. season — in sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. field — for sport
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. field — farmland
  12. season — of the year
  13. club — for golf
  14. stem — to come from
  15. club — for dancing
  16. roll — a list
  17. field — a subject
  18. roll — a cake
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. stock — goods

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