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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. 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. mate — a friend
  2. stem — to come from
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. drill — army training
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. content — the amount
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. content — happy
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bear — the animal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mate — a partner
  23. drill — the tool
  24. 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