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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: bear · club · leaves · patient · rush · bulb · stock · date

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stock — goods
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rush — hurry
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. club — a group
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. club — for dancing
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stock — shares
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. club — for golf
  24. rush — to hurry

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