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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mark — a trace
  3. staff — employees
  4. file — a document
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pitch — completely
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. file — a tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. kick — in football
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bore — to drill

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