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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 120 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stock — shares
  8. mate — a partner
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stock — goods
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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