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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. present — there
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. tube — a container
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bound — certain
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wax — to grow
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stock — shares
  19. present — the time now
  20. bound — tied together
  21. present — a gift
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bound — obliged

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