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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stand — to bear
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. staff — employees
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bowl — to roll

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