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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. season — of the year
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. key — in music
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bass — low music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. season — in sport
  14. sharp — clever
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. staff — a stick
  20. key — for a lock
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bass — the fish
  24. staff — employees

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