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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. chip — to eat
  4. shower — rain
  5. staff — employees
  6. suit — to fit
  7. can — a tin
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. shower — to wash
  13. chip — for betting
  14. can — a tin
  15. court — of law
  16. staff — a stick
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. suit — in cards
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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