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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.

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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: patient · toast · stem · stock · pound · pit

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. stock — goods
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. toast — bread
  8. pit — a hole
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. stock — shares

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