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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · stock · staff · spell · fork · chair · calf · pound

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kick — in football
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. spell — a short time
  9. staff — employees
  10. spell — magic
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. chair — a leader
  14. spell — letters
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. staff — a stick
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stock — goods
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pound — a weight

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