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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stock — shares
  5. staff — employees
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. staff — a stick
  8. present — a gift
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. content — happy
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stock — goods
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. present — the time now
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. scale — in music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — there
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. scale — size or range
  24. content — the amount

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