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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 124 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stock — goods
  4. season — in sport
  5. club — a group
  6. staff — employees
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pound — a weight
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. season — of the year
  13. club — for dancing
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. staff — employees
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. stock — shares
  24. staff — a stick

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