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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 116 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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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: racket · band · stock · suit · patient · pound · pit · ground

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. stock — shares
  5. suit — to fit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pound — a weight
  14. ground — the earth
  15. suit — clothes
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stock — goods
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. racket — for tennis

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