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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: tear · bore · stock · patient · foot · pit · can · fan

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bore — to tire
  6. tear — to rip
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. can — a tin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bore — to drill
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. can — a tin
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stock — shares
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  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