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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. net — after costs
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. staff — employees
  6. club — for golf
  7. staff — employees
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bear — the animal
  10. club — a group
  11. lean — thin
  12. net — for catching
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. net — in sport

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