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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: date · jam · march · stock · scale · patient · straw · can

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. scale — in music
  11. march — the month
  12. scale — size or range
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. can — a tin
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stock — shares
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. stock — goods
  24. date — the fruit

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