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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. staff — employees
  3. stock — shares
  4. capital — money
  5. staff — employees
  6. capital — a city
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. club — for golf
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. club — a group
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stock — goods
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. staff — a stick
  24. prune — to trim

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