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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 116 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 · stock · game · leaves · field · sharp · staff · stand

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. stock — goods
  3. game — wild animals
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stock — shares
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. field — a subject
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. game — a match
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. staff — employees

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