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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · mate · bore · wound · rush · stem · stock · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stock — goods
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stock — shares
  12. field — farmland
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stem — to come from
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. field — a subject
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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