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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: kid · march · patient · stick · bark · safe · bear · stock

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kid — child
  4. march — the month
  5. stock — goods
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. march — music
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. kid — to tease
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stock — shares
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bark — to shout
  24. march — the month

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