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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. staff — employees
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. prune — to trim
  10. key — in music
  11. can — a tin
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pop — soda
  16. key — the most important part
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. rest — what's left
  20. can — a tin
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rest — a break
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pop — music

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