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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 120 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. current — electric
  12. stock — shares
  13. last — to go on
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. last — final
  16. bear — the animal
  17. current — happening now
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bear — the animal
  20. last — finally
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stock — goods
  23. current — of water
  24. staff — employees

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