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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: rock · cell · mark · swing · object · staff · band · stock

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. stock — shares
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. swing — to play on
  9. staff — a stick
  10. object — an aim
  11. band — a ring
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. stock — goods
  16. rock — music
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cell — in biology
  19. band — a music group
  20. object — a thing
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. swing — music
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. object — to protest

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