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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: cold · patient · stock · kid · suit · mark · fan · mug

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cold — not warm
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stock — shares
  11. suit — in cards
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cold — an illness
  14. mug — to rob
  15. kid — to tease
  16. mug — a face
  17. mark — a grade
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stock — goods
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. kid — child

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