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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 120 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: wave · staff · patient · stock · cue · spring · firm · ground

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. firm — a company
  3. ground — crushed
  4. spring — a coil
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cue — a signal
  10. ground — a position
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. firm — steady
  13. stock — goods
  14. spring — of water
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. spring — the season
  20. staff — employees
  21. stock — shares
  22. firm — decided
  23. cue — a hint
  24. patient — a sick person

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