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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: stock · sharp · drill · patient · bass · dip · branch · stand

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. stock — shares
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bass — low music
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stock — goods
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stand — to bear
  23. branch — a division
  24. bass — the fish

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