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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 116 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: stick · present · object · coach · can · bound · stock · patient

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. can — a tin
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stock — goods
  11. present — there
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. present — the time now
  17. bound — tied together
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bound — obliged
  20. present — a gift
  21. bound — certain
  22. stock — shares
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. can — a tin

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