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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: can · patient · game · straw · foot · nail · pit · stock

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. can — a tin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stock — shares
  5. can — a tin
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. foot — a measure
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pit — in a race
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. can — to be able to
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. stock — goods

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