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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.

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: stock · date · bulb · stick · patient · plane · fall · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stock — goods
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bulb — for light
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. plane — a tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fall — the season
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. date — the fruit
  21. fall — to drop
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stock — shares
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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