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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: stock · foot · patient · date · cabinet · last · mate · drill

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. drill — the tool
  8. last — finally
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. date — the fruit
  11. last — to go on
  12. stock — shares
  13. mate — a friend
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. last — final
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stock — goods
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. drill — army training
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mate — a partner

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