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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 120 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: present · patient · mate · stick · land · bound · board · stock

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bound — tied together
  8. present — a gift
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bound — certain
  11. land — a country
  12. bound — obliged
  13. present — there
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. land — to come down
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mate — a partner
  20. present — the time now
  21. mate — to breed
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. land — ground
  24. board — to get on

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