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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: rush · field · stock · kid · staff · toast · object · pitcher

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. object — a thing
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. staff — a stick
  5. field — a subject
  6. object — to protest
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. staff — employees
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. staff — employees
  15. object — an aim
  16. field — for sport
  17. kid — to tease
  18. toast — bread
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kid — child
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. field — farmland
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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