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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. spring — the season
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. scale — in music
  5. mark — a trace
  6. staff — employees
  7. mark — a grade
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. spring — a coil
  12. stock — goods
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. staff — employees
  16. stock — shares
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rock — a stone
  20. spring — of water
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rest — what's left

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