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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 · roll · date · stock · net · hand · can · squash

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. can — a tin
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. net — for catching
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. can — to be able to
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. net — in sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. date — the fruit
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. squash — the sport
  20. roll — a list
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. hand — help
  23. can — a tin
  24. net — after costs

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