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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. staff — employees
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. stock — shares
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fall — the season
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stock — goods
  10. suit — in cards
  11. band — a music group
  12. staff — a stick
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. fall — to drop
  19. key — the most important part
  20. staff — employees
  21. bat — the animal
  22. suit — to fit
  23. fall — to drop
  24. band — a ring

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