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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bat — the animal
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. march — music
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. hand — help
  7. staff — a stick
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. march — the month
  11. rest — what's left
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. rest — a break
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. stock — goods
  17. foot — a measure
  18. march — the month
  19. staff — employees
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. hand — in cards
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stock — shares

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