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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: pop · bore · stock · patient · arm · rule · dip · land

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stock — goods
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pop — music
  7. stock — shares
  8. rule — a law
  9. land — to come down
  10. pop — soda
  11. rule — government
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. land — a country
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pop — to visit
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. land — ground
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bore — to drill
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. arm — part of the body

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