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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. stock — shares
  3. staff — employees
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. foot — a measure
  7. staff — a stick
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. craft — boats
  11. game — a match
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bear — the animal
  14. game — wild animals
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. band — a ring
  18. stock — goods
  19. band — a music group
  20. staff — employees
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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