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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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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ball — a dance
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stock — shares
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fall — to drop
  10. staff — a stick
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stock — goods
  22. track — a path
  23. staff — employees
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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