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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.

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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. staff — employees
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. deal — to handle
  6. staff — employees
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wake — a trail
  9. race — the arms race
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stock — shares
  13. cue — for pool
  14. staff — a stick
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. race — a contest
  17. wind — moving air
  18. race — humankind
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cue — a signal
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stock — goods
  24. cue — a hint

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