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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. kid — child
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pound — a weight
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. stock — shares
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. kid — to tease
  18. tube — a container
  19. chip — to eat
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stock — goods
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. stem — of a plant

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