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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
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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 · craft · wake · staff · file · cue · deal · stock

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. craft — boats
  4. cue — a signal
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stock — goods
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. staff — employees
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cue — for pool
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. staff — employees
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. craft — a skill
  18. file — a tool
  19. stock — shares
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. file — a document
  22. staff — a stick
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. file — a line of people

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