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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bank — of a river
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. content — the amount
  11. current — of water
  12. ground — a position
  13. bank — for money
  14. ground — crushed
  15. current — electric
  16. roll — a cake
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. content — happy
  19. current — happening now
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bank — for money
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. roll — a list
  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