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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. content — happy
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stock — shares
  9. pit — in a race
  10. stock — goods
  11. content — the amount
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rock — a stone
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rock — music
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. snap — to click
  22. staff — employees
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pit — a hole

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