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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.

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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: clip · sharp · spring · rock · stick · stock · patient · pit

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — a video
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stock — goods
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. spring — the season
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rock — music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rock — a stone
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stock — shares
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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