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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: stock · bulb · fan · hide · foot · track · present · patient

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. present — a gift
  6. bulb — for light
  7. track — to keep track
  8. present — there
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stock — goods
  16. present — the time now
  17. bulb — for light
  18. foot — a measure
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. foot — the bottom

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