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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stock — goods
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stock — shares
  14. race — humankind
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pass — a permit
  20. date — the fruit
  21. race — a contest
  22. prune — to trim
  23. date — on the calendar
  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