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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: tube · band · patient · bay · stock · bore · cap · spell

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. tube — a container
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cap — a hat
  5. spell — magic
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cap — a lid
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cap — of ice
  12. spell — letters
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stock — shares
  23. bore — to drill
  24. tube — the underground

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