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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 · spell · kick · pit · patient · ground · bank · stock

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stock — goods
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. spell — letters
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stock — shares
  12. ground — crushed
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. spell — magic
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ground — a position
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. bank — for money
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spell — a short time

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