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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. craft — a skill
  5. staff — employees
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. staff — a stick
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stock — goods
  14. staff — employees
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pound — a weight
  24. foot — a measure

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