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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: stock · bowl · club · patient · deal · spring · current · pitch

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stock — shares
  4. spring — the season
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. spring — a coil
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. club — for dancing
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pitch — completely
  17. stock — goods
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. current — happening now
  23. spring — of water
  24. bowl — a football final

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