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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: tube · stand · patient · deal · coach · wound · stock · ground

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. ground — a position
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stock — goods
  6. deal — to handle
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. stock — shares
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ground — crushed
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stand — to bear
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wound — an injury
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. deal — a big deal

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