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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: spell · field · calf · chair · stock · firm · club · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. firm — steady
  3. staff — a stick
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. spell — a short time
  6. staff — employees
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. club — for dancing
  9. field — a subject
  10. club — a group
  11. firm — a company
  12. stock — goods
  13. spell — letters
  14. chair — a leader
  15. club — for golf
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. field — for sport
  21. stock — shares
  22. spell — magic
  23. firm — decided
  24. field — farmland

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