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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: ground · wake · stock · rush · patient · dip · bore · field

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. field — farmland
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. field — for sport
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stock — shares
  14. field — a subject
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stock — goods
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ground — a position
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rush — hurry
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. ground — the earth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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