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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: bowl · stock · patient · roll · clip · pass · craft · shower

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. shower — rain
  11. craft — a skill
  12. roll — a cake
  13. craft — boats
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stock — goods
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stock — shares
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. craft — a handicraft

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