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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: ground · current · fine · vault · stock · staff · patient · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. staff — employees
  5. stock — shares
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. current — of water
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ground — a position
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fine — all right
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. current — electric
  18. date — the fruit
  19. stock — goods
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. vault — a safe
  24. current — happening now

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