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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. field — for sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. key — for a lock
  7. staff — employees
  8. field — farmland
  9. last — final
  10. dip — to sink
  11. board — a committee
  12. lie — to recline
  13. key — the most important part
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. last — finally
  17. board — to get on
  18. key — in music
  19. staff — a stick
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. last — to go on
  23. field — a subject
  24. mouse — the animal

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