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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. drill — army training
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fork — in a road
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bulb — for light
  15. drill — a practice
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. drill — the tool
  19. staff — a stick
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bulb — of a plant

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