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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bound — certain
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — tied together
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mark — a grade
  23. staff — employees
  24. calf — a young animal

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