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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: board · patient · deal · pitch · stock · mark · temple · rush

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rush — hurry
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stock — shares
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mark — a trace
  14. deal — to handle
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. board — a committee
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. board — to get on
  24. rush — to hurry

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