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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: leaves · wind · bat · stock · board · rock · bound · patient

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stock — goods
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rock — a stone
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. board — to get on
  12. bound — certain
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. board — a committee
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stock — shares
  17. rock — music
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  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