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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: bore · pitcher · arm · patient · season · ruler · spring · stock

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. season — in sport
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stock — shares
  7. spring — of water
  8. stock — goods
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bore — to drill
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. spring — the season
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bore — to tire
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stock — a soup base

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