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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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Word bank
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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: mug · racket · stock · staff · key · row · ground · rest

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rest — what's left
  3. staff — employees
  4. ground — a position
  5. mug — a face
  6. rest — what's left
  7. row — to paddle
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. key — the most important part
  10. rest — a break
  11. ground — crushed
  12. key — in music
  13. row — a line
  14. staff — employees
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mug — a cup
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stock — goods
  19. staff — a stick
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stock — a soup base

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