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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stock — shares
  3. staff — a stick
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lean — thin
  11. stock — goods
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. staff — employees
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. staff — employees
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stock — a soup base

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