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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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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: wind · mug · patient · stick · deal · stock · club · cap

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stock — shares
  11. club — for dancing
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cap — of ice
  14. club — a group
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cap — a lid
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stock — goods
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. club — for golf
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wind — moving air

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