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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. object — a thing
  3. staff — employees
  4. pitch — completely
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. stock — shares
  7. land — ground
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. kid — to tease
  10. land — to come down
  11. object — an aim
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. drill — army training
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. land — a country
  18. stock — goods
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. object — to protest
  22. kid — child
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stock — a soup base

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