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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rest — a break
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stock — shares
  5. craft — boats
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rest — what's left
  15. staff — employees
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. pound — a weight
  23. craft — a skill
  24. staff — employees

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