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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: racket · pitcher · spell · pop · rock · bank · patient · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rock — music
  3. stock — shares
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. spell — letters
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rock — a stone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pop — to visit
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pop — soda
  14. bank — for money
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. racket — for tennis

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