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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: patient · wound · staff · calf · stock · jam · pass · field

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. field — for sport
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. staff — a stick
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. field — a subject
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. field — farmland
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. stock — shares
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. staff — employees
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. staff — employees
  20. stock — goods
  21. wound — an injury
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pass — to succeed
  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