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

Word bank: race · stock · safe · present · staff · firm · patient · pound

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. staff — employees
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. firm — steady
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stock — goods
  10. present — a gift
  11. race — the arms race
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. race — humankind
  15. staff — employees
  16. firm — decided
  17. race — a contest
  18. stock — shares
  19. pound — a weight
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. firm — a company
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. present — the time now

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