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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · stock · present · jam · bass · staff · lean · vault

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bass — low music
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. stock — goods
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. vault — a safe
  8. present — a gift
  9. lean — thin
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. present — there
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stock — shares
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. present — the time now
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. patient — a sick person

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