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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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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 · date · sharp · stick · trunk · object · patient · cabinet

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. object — to protest
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. date — the fruit
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. stock — shares
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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