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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 120 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: object · patient · stand · net · stock · nail · bank · firm

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. object — a thing
  6. bank — of a river
  7. object — an aim
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. bank — for money
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. net — in sport
  13. stand — to bear
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stock — goods
  16. net — after costs
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bank — for money
  20. stock — shares
  21. net — for catching
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. firm — steady
  24. nail — on a finger

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