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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: stock · roll · fine · cue · bat · jam · bowl · patient

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bat — the animal
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cue — a signal
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cue — for pool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. roll — a list
  23. fine — all right
  24. patient — a sick person

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