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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: net · row · patient · rock · calf · mouse · stock · chair

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stock — shares
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rock — music
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. net — after costs

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