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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 116 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: bat · stock · kid · patient · straw · suit · leaves · scale

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. scale — size or range
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. suit — clothes
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. stock — shares
  20. kid — child
  21. suit — in cards
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. scale — in music
  24. kid — to tease

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