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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: bear · present · stock · roll · vault · patient · saw · net

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. net — in sport
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. net — after costs
  5. present — a gift
  6. roll — a cake
  7. present — the time now
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stock — goods
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. roll — a list
  19. stock — shares
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. net — for catching
  24. roll — on a roll

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