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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. can — a tin
  3. rule — a law
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stock — goods
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. can — a tin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mark — a grade
  24. stem — of a plant

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