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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: leaves · foot · bank · snap · patient · pop · stock · field

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pop — soda
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. field — a subject
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pop — to visit
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. stock — goods
  13. pop — music
  14. field — for sport
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. field — farmland
  23. stock — shares
  24. snap — to click

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