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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. roll — a list
  5. key — in music
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. game — a match
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. cap — a hat
  15. staff — employees
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. key — the most important part
  19. squash — the sport
  20. roll — a cake
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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