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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: stick · stock · chair · calf · sharp · race · staff · foot

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. staff — employees
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chair — a leader
  6. staff — a stick
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stock — shares
  10. foot — a measure
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. staff — employees
  15. race — humankind
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stock — goods
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. race — a contest
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. sharp — clever
  22. race — the arms race
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chair — to sit on

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