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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: bay · perch · staff · dip · hand · pass · stock · patient

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. perch — the fish
  3. hand — in cards
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pass — a permit
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. staff — employees
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stock — shares
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hand — help
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stock — goods

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