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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: firm · stock · rash · bay · straw · bat · patient · capital

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. firm — steady
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. capital — money
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. firm — decided
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. stock — shares
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. firm — a company
  15. bat — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. stock — goods
  21. capital — a city
  22. rash — a series
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. rash — hasty

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