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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · patient · stock · kick · pitcher · squash · scale · rock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stock — goods
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. squash — to crush
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. scale — in music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. stock — shares
  17. rock — a stone
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rock — music
  23. kick — in football
  24. scale — size or range

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