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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 124 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: mate · dip · hand · cue · can · patient · stock · bound

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bound — certain
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bound — obliged
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bound — tied together
  11. can — a tin
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. hand — help
  16. can — to be able to
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cue — a signal
  20. dip — to sink
  21. hand — in cards
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mate — a partner
  24. can — a tin

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