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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 · fan · track · stand · stock · cabinet · object · roll

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stand — to bear
  4. track — a path
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. roll — a cake
  7. stock — goods
  8. object — an aim
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. object — to protest
  11. track — a song
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. object — a thing
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stock — shares
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. roll — a list
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stand — for spectators

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