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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mate — a partner
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mate — to breed
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mug — a cup
  10. cue — a signal
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cue — for pool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cue — a hint
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stock — shares
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mug — a face
  22. stock — goods
  23. mug — to rob
  24. nail — for a hammer

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