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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: tube · mate · patient · stock · bulb · drill · bat · chair

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. chair — a leader
  4. drill — army training
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stock — goods
  12. bulb — for light
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mate — a partner
  15. tube — a container
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. drill — a practice
  18. tube — the underground
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. stock — shares
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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