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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: bank · calf · stock · net · patient · bat · craft · rest

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bank — of a river
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rest — what's left
  10. net — in sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bank — for money
  15. net — after costs
  16. craft — a skill
  17. stock — goods
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. craft — boats
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. stock — shares
  24. craft — a handicraft

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