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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. club — a group
  7. rest — a break
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. club — for golf
  10. stock — goods
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. staff — employees
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stock — shares
  21. present — a gift
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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