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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 116 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: patient · deal · cell · bark · mouse · sharp · land · stock

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stock — goods
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cell — a phone
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. land — a country
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. land — to come down
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cell — in biology
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. land — ground
  24. bark — to shout

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