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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. can — a tin
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. board — to get on
  6. stock — goods
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stock — shares
  9. can — to be able to
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wake — a trail
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. can — a tin
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. board — a committee
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. staff — employees
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pound — for dogs

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