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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fine · bowl · deal · stock · pitcher · stem · racket

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stock — goods
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fine — all right
  11. stock — shares
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fine — high quality
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stem — to come from
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fine — a penalty

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