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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: band · date · track · stock · toast · patient · deal · saw

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. saw — the tool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. track — a song
  9. stock — shares
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. stock — goods
  15. deal — to handle
  16. track — a path
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — to keep track
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. band — a music group
  22. toast — bread
  23. band — a ring
  24. saw — the tool

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