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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. staff — employees
  5. ball — a great time
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wound — an injury
  9. staff — a stick
  10. prune — to trim
  11. tube — the underground
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. race — humankind
  18. club — for golf
  19. wound — an injury
  20. tube — a container
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. race — a contest

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