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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · charge · suit · bay · patient · wound · stock · ground

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ground — a position
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wound — an injury
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stock — shares
  19. ground — crushed
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ground — the earth
  22. suit — to fit
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — in cards

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