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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. ground — a position
  6. stock — goods
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mark — a grade
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ground — crushed
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stand — to bear
  18. race — humankind
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bound — obliged
  21. race — the arms race
  22. stock — shares
  23. race — a contest
  24. bound — certain

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