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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mine — for digging
  3. stock — goods
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rest — what's left
  6. staff — a stick
  7. content — happy
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. staff — employees
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rest — a break
  14. content — the amount
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bulb — for light
  18. staff — employees
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. stock — shares
  24. pound — for dogs

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