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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mate — a friend
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. spring — a coil
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. mate — to breed
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — a partner
  17. spring — of water
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. staff — employees
  21. stock — shares
  22. rock — music
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. spring — the season

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