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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: field · stock · staff · date · stick · plane · wave · deal

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. staff — a stick
  3. stock — goods
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. field — farmland
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. field — for sport
  14. date — the fruit
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stock — shares
  22. field — a subject
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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