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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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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stock — goods
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. staff — a stick
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mine — for digging
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stock — shares
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pass — a permit
  15. current — happening now
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. staff — employees
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. current — electric
  21. staff — employees
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. deal — an agreement

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