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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. ball — a dance
  5. drill — army training
  6. stock — shares
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. deal — to handle
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bore — to tire
  22. drill — the tool
  23. patient — a sick person
  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