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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: staff · stock · pitcher · foot · bay · fork · saw · bore

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. bore — to tire
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fork — to eat with

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