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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bear — the animal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stem — to come from
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stock — goods
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. capital — a city
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stock — shares

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