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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: stock · patient · club · net · pit · can · pop · spring

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. spring — a coil
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. can — a tin
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. pit — a hole
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. net — after costs
  11. stock — goods
  12. club — for dancing
  13. stock — shares
  14. spring — of water
  15. can — a tin
  16. spring — the season
  17. pop — soda
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. net — for catching
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. can — to be able to

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