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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · cell · fine · stock · bass · patient · march · row

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. march — the month
  3. row — a line
  4. stock — goods
  5. bass — the fish
  6. march — the month
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stock — shares
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bass — low music
  16. mate — a friend
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mate — to breed
  20. march — music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fine — high quality
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fine — all right

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