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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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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. staff — employees
  5. stock — shares
  6. pop — soda
  7. staff — a stick
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. staff — employees
  12. stem — to come from
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pop — to visit
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stock — goods
  18. pop — music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fall — the season
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. leaves — to go away

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