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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.

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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cue — for pool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. cue — a signal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. chair — a professorship

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