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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ball — a great time
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pop — soda
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pop — music
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cold — not warm
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. deal — to handle
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ball — a dance
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. safe — out of danger

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