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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · fine · bank · spring · patient · wound · track · stock

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bank — for money
  5. spring — of water
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stock — goods
  8. bark — to shout
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. fine — high quality
  12. track — a path
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wound — an injury
  16. spring — the season
  17. track — a song
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fine — all right
  22. bank — for money
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. spring — a coil

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