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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 120 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. chest — a box
  3. ground — crushed
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bass — the fish
  7. craft — a skill
  8. staff — employees
  9. cell — in biology
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ground — a position
  12. cue — for pool
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cell — a phone
  15. ground — the earth
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bass — low music
  22. cue — a signal
  23. craft — boats
  24. patient — a sick person

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