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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 116 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: patient · sharp · snap · stock · ground · ball · stand · bound

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stand — to bear
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ground — a position
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stock — shares
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stock — goods
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bound — certain
  19. sharp — clever
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bound — tied together
  24. sharp — with an edge

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