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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: kid · leaves · stock · key · tube · patient · sharp · foot

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. key — the most important part
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. key — in music
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stock — goods
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. tube — the underground
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. key — for a lock
  19. tube — a container
  20. kid — child
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. sharp — clever

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