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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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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 · stock · shower · dip · nail · fork · stand · march

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fork — in a road
  4. march — the month
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. stand — to bear
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. march — the month
  21. stock — shares
  22. dip — to sink
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. march — music

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