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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stock — shares
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. game — a match
  11. stock — goods
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. staff — a stick
  15. squash — to crush
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chest — a box
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chest — of your body
  20. staff — employees
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. game — wild animals
  24. racket — a loud noise

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