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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 · ruler · squash · patient · cold · tube · suit · deal

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. suit — in cards
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stock — shares
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cold — not warm
  11. tube — the underground
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stock — goods
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. suit — to fit
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. tube — a container
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cold — an illness
  23. squash — to crush
  24. suit — clothes

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