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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stock — shares
  21. bark — to shout
  22. net — in sport
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stock — goods

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