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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: bulb · toast · stock · bound · jam · patient · rest · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rest — a break
  3. stock — shares
  4. rest — what's left
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bound — obliged
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. stock — goods
  13. bound — tied together
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. toast — bread
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bound — certain
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. toast — the most admired

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