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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. current — electric
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. current — of water
  10. stock — shares
  11. bat — the animal
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mate — a partner
  14. staff — employees
  15. current — happening now
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. stock — goods
  24. bat — for baseball

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