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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
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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: date · patient · ball · mine · stock · trunk · rest · key

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. key — in music
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rest — what's left
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rest — a break
  10. ball — a dance
  11. date — the fruit
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rest — what's left
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. key — for a lock

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