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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: sharp · leaves · patient · bound · bulb · racket · mine · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stock — goods
  7. bound — certain
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bulb — for light
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bound — tied together
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bound — obliged
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mine — for digging
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bulb — for light

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