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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
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: ruler · can · stock · chest · bat · board · swing · patient

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bat — the animal
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. swing — in golf
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. swing — to play on
  9. can — a tin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. can — a tin
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. can — to be able to
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. swing — music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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