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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pit — in a race
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. staff — a stick
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. board — a committee
  13. staff — employees
  14. pit — a hole
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spring — a coil
  17. board — to get on
  18. hide — to keep secret

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