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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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 — a stick
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. stock — shares
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rest — a break
  15. bear — the animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stock — goods
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bat — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stock — a soup base
  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