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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bound — tied together
  6. row — a line
  7. squash — to crush
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — certain
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pass — a permit
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bound — obliged
  24. ground — a position

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