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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. saw — the tool
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. root — the cause
  10. stock — goods
  11. ball — a great time
  12. saw — the tool
  13. root — of a word
  14. ball — a dance
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stock — shares
  17. root — of a plant
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. key — in music
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. staff — employees
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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