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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
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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: stock · fine · suit · mine · bound · pit · patient · date

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. bound — tied together
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bound — certain
  14. mine — for digging
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fine — all right
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fine — high quality

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