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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wind · spring · craft · stock · patient · racket · track · safe

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stock — shares
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wind — moving air
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. craft — a skill
  12. spring — the season
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. track — a path
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. track — to keep track
  18. craft — boats
  19. track — a song
  20. stock — goods
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wind — moving air

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