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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: patient · bound · fine · racket · suit · nail · field · stock

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. bound — obliged
  2. fine — all right
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stock — goods
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stock — shares
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. suit — to fit
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. suit — in cards
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. field — farmland
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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