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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stock — shares
  3. file — a line of people
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. saw — the tool
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ball — a dance
  10. staff — a stick
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. staff — employees
  13. file — a tool
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bear — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bear — the animal
  20. file — a document
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. staff — employees
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bear — to put up with

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