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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. craft — a skill
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rule — government
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. craft — boats
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stock — shares
  15. club — a group
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. club — for golf
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rule — a law
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stock — goods

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