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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mug — a face
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mate — a partner
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mate — to breed
  9. stock — goods
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. can — a tin
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. can — a tin
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stock — shares
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mate — a friend

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