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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stock — goods
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cue — a hint
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. staff — a stick
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stock — shares
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cue — a signal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mine — belonging to me

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