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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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 — a stick
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fine — high quality
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. staff — employees
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. game — a match
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fine — all right
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. game — wild animals
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. key — in music
  23. fork — to eat with
  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