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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: leaves · net · cabinet · patient · stock · land · drill · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. net — after costs
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stock — shares
  7. net — for catching
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stock — goods
  13. land — ground
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. drill — army training
  16. net — in sport
  17. content — happy
  18. land — a country
  19. content — the amount
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. land — to come down
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stock — a soup base

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