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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. track — to keep track
  3. staff — a stick
  4. stock — shares
  5. track — a path
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. craft — boats
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. craft — a skill
  14. staff — employees
  15. rest — what's left
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rest — a break
  19. staff — employees
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. track — a song

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