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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · fan · date · foot · temple · cabinet · racket · stock

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. stock — shares
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stock — goods
  8. date — the fruit
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. temple — a place of worship

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