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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: stock · bank · patient · mine · pitch · stand · cap · fork

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stand — to bear
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stock — shares
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fork — in a road
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bank — for money
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fork — to eat with

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