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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: cell · content · season · stock · bank · tube · bound · patient

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. tube — a container
  4. bound — certain
  5. content — happy
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bank — for money
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. season — of the year
  10. stock — shares
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bound — obliged
  15. season — in sport
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bound — tied together
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. content — the amount
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stock — goods

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