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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mate — a partner
  3. object — a thing
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. staff — employees
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. object — an aim
  10. land — a country
  11. key — for a lock
  12. board — a committee
  13. land — to come down
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pit — a hole
  16. object — to protest
  17. key — in music
  18. land — ground
  19. staff — employees
  20. pit — in a race
  21. board — to get on
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. key — the most important part
  24. trunk — of a car

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