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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: patient · leaves · mug · stock · stick · net · ruler · branch

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mug — a cup
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. net — after costs
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stock — goods
  11. net — in sport
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mug — a face
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. branch — a division
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stock — shares
  23. mug — to rob
  24. leaves — lets stay

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