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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · net · bark · arm · patient · stock · roll · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. net — for catching
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. net — in sport
  6. stock — shares
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rule — government
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. roll — a cake
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bark — to shout
  19. net — after costs
  20. stock — goods
  21. roll — a list
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bark — of a tree

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