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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: stock · sharp · bat · leaves · present · mate · staff · firm

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. present — a gift
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. firm — a company
  5. stock — goods
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mate — to breed
  8. staff — employees
  9. present — the time now
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mate — a partner
  12. staff — employees
  13. bat — the animal
  14. present — there
  15. stock — shares
  16. mate — a friend
  17. firm — decided
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. firm — steady
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. sharp — with an edge

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