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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rash — a series
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rash — hasty
  11. kick — in football
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. land — ground
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. scale — in music
  20. stock — goods
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rash — on the skin

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