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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: racket · band · stock · suit · patient · pound

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — goods
  11. suit — to fit
  12. band — a ring
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. band — a music group
  18. racket — for tennis

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