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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: rash · patient · stock · vault · pit · mark · toast · staff

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pit — a hole
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rash — hasty
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pit — in a race
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stock — goods
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. rash — a series
  20. staff — employees
  21. toast — bread
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. staff — employees
  24. vault — a safe

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