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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 120 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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stock — shares
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. staff — a stick
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stock — goods
  8. drill — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. press — a publisher
  12. present — the time now
  13. staff — employees
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. press — to push
  16. present — a gift
  17. press — newspapers
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. staff — employees

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