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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: cap · ball · stock · clip · band · bound · patient · plane

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. band — a music group
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cap — a lid
  7. band — a ring
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. ball — a dance
  11. clip — to cut
  12. stock — shares
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. clip — for paper
  16. cap — of ice
  17. clip — a video
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bound — tied together
  23. ball — a great time
  24. patient — a sick person

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