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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 120 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: ground · cue · wake · deal · pop · bore · patient · stock

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cue — for pool
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pop — soda
  17. stock — goods
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pop — music
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stock — shares
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wake — a trail

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