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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: roll · patient · stock · mug · ball · game · fan · row

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. row — a line
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. roll — a cake
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mug — a face
  10. game — wild animals
  11. stock — shares
  12. row — to paddle
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. roll — a list
  18. mug — to rob
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ball — a great time
  24. patient — calm and waiting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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