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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. swing — in golf
  3. staff — employees
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. last — finally
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pit — a hole
  8. chip — to eat
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. last — to go on
  11. swing — to play on
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. can — a tin
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. last — final
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. can — a tin
  21. staff — a stick
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pit — in a race
  24. swing — music

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