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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. staff — employees
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. wound — an injury
  12. march — music
  13. roll — a cake
  14. march — the month
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. roll — a list
  21. wound — an injury
  22. march — the month
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cue — for pool

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