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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 120 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. kick — in football
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stock — shares
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wake — a trail
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. race — humankind
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. squash — to crush
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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