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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: row · ground · fall · calf · patient · current · stock · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ground — the earth
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. row — to paddle
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. drill — army training
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ground — a position
  10. stock — shares
  11. fall — to drop
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. current — of water
  14. drill — a practice
  15. current — happening now
  16. fall — the season
  17. ground — crushed
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. row — a line
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. current — electric
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stock — goods

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