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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: ground · patient · cap · bowl · stock · stand · chip · branch

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cap — of ice
  6. ground — crushed
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stock — goods
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stock — shares
  15. chip — to eat
  16. ground — the earth
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cap — a lid
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ground — a position
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. branch — a division

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