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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. mate — a partner
  3. field — a subject
  4. suit — in cards
  5. mate — a friend
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stock — shares
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. field — for sport
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cap — a hat
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stock — goods
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mate — to breed

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