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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 120 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wake — a trail
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. staff — a stick
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. scale — in music
  20. board — a committee
  21. capital — a city
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. calf — a young animal

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