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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: ground · rash · field · rule · mate · present · stock · bore

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. field — farmland
  4. present — there
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. field — a subject
  9. rule — government
  10. present — the time now
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. present — a gift
  15. rule — a law
  16. mate — a friend
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rash — a series
  22. field — for sport
  23. ground — a position
  24. rash — hasty

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