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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: season · patient · stock · mouse · lean · sharp · board · firm

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. sharp — clever
  7. firm — decided
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stock — shares
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. season — of the year
  16. board — to get on
  17. firm — steady
  18. lean — thin
  19. firm — a company
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. stock — goods
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. board — a committee
  24. season — in sport

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