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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · game · safe · staff · bowl · nail · root · stock

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. game — a match
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. game — wild animals
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pound — a weight
  11. root — of a word
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stock — shares
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stock — goods

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