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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. band — a ring
  3. bulb — for light
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. staff — a stick
  6. band — a music group
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stock — goods
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. stand — to bear
  16. staff — employees
  17. mark — a trace
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stock — shares
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. staff — employees
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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