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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: row · wound · squash · stock · net · patient · rule · leaves

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. net — after costs
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rule — a law
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wound — an injury
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. net — for catching
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stock — goods
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. squash — the sport
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rule — government
  23. net — in sport
  24. rule — to rule out

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