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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: staff · roll · spring · patient · fork · bay · mouse · deal

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. deal — to handle
  4. staff — employees
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — a cake
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — a coil
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. spring — of water

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