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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: chair · mouse · stock · deal · mark · current · staff · leaves

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. current — of water
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. mark — a grade
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stock — goods
  14. current — electric
  15. staff — a stick
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. chair — a leader
  18. current — happening now
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. staff — employees
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. deal — to handle

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