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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 · date · temple · swing · rush · bay · roll · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. date — the fruit
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stock — goods
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. roll — a cake
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. roll — a list
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rush — hurry
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stock — shares
  23. swing — music
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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