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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mug — a face
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. staff — a stick
  6. tube — the underground
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bulb — for light
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stock — goods
  15. staff — employees
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stock — shares
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. tube — a container
  24. calf — a young animal

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