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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. staff — employees
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bank — for money
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stock — goods
  22. bark — to shout
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bank — of a river

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