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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stock — goods
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bore — to tire
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cold — an illness
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bore — to drill
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cold — not warm

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