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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: patient · land · racket · mate · kick · mark · stock · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. land — a country
  3. stock — goods
  4. mate — to breed
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. present — a gift
  9. stock — shares
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. mate — a friend
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. present — the time now
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kick — in football
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. patient — a sick person

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