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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. mate — a partner
  3. suit — clothes
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. field — for sport
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stock — shares
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. field — a subject
  11. suit — in cards
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mate — to breed
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stock — goods
  17. cap — a hat
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cap — a lid
  22. branch — a division
  23. field — farmland
  24. trunk — of a tree

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