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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. net — after costs
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. can — to be able to
  7. net — in sport
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. current — happening now
  10. branch — a division
  11. current — electric
  12. net — for catching
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. can — a tin
  16. current — of water
  17. bound — obliged
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bound — certain
  21. stock — shares
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bound — tied together

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