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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: track · patient · stock · tear · mark · court · stand · cabinet

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. tear — from crying
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tear — to rip
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stock — goods
  10. stand — to bear
  11. track — a song
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mark — a grade
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. stock — shares
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tear — from crying

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