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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 116 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: stock · patient · tube · kick · coach · present

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kick — in football
  6. stock — shares
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. present — the time now
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. present — a gift
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stock — goods
  14. present — there
  15. tube — the underground
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. tube — a container

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