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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: bear · stock · stand · patient · board · game · arm · current

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stock — goods
  4. board — a committee
  5. game — a match
  6. current — happening now
  7. board — to get on
  8. game — wild animals
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bear — the animal
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stock — shares
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. current — electric
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. current — of water

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