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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: fine · patient · stock · chest · stick · object · bound · content

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stock — shares
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. content — the amount
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fine — all right
  11. stock — goods
  12. bound — tied together
  13. object — to protest
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. chest — a box
  16. object — a thing
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. object — an aim
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. content — happy
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bound — certain
  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