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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: spell · patient · stick · foot · bulb · stock · row · saw

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spell — a short time
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bulb — for light
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. foot — a measure
  19. spell — magic
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spell — letters
  24. patient — a sick person

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