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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: dip · mine · key · mark · spell · leaves · stock · patient

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mine — for digging
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stock — shares
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. key — for a lock
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mark — a trace
  10. spell — magic
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stock — goods
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. key — the most important part
  21. dip — to sink
  22. key — in music
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. spell — letters

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