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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. staff — employees
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mate — a friend
  6. row — a line
  7. game — a match
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. craft — a skill
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. craft — boats
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. row — to paddle
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. stock — goods
  21. mate — a partner
  22. firm — decided
  23. stock — shares
  24. firm — a company

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