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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: rush · pound · ball · leaves · present · staff · bear · stock

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pound — a weight
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. present — there
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. staff — a stick
  13. rush — hurry
  14. staff — employees
  15. stock — goods
  16. present — the time now
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stock — shares
  20. ball — a great time
  21. staff — employees
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. present — a gift
  24. pound — to hit hard

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