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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. key — in music
  3. rule — a law
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. band — a ring
  6. cue — a hint
  7. hand — help
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rule — government
  11. band — a music group
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stock — goods
  18. key — for a lock
  19. stock — shares
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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