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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 · straw · jam · stock · bark · leaves · patient · roll

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. roll — a cake
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. roll — a list
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stock — shares
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. staff — employees
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bark — to shout
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. stock — goods
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stock — a soup base

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