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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rest — what's left
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ground — crushed
  6. staff — employees
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stock — shares
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stock — goods
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rest — a break
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rock — music

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