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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. land — to come down
  6. mate — to breed
  7. land — a country
  8. track — a path
  9. mate — a friend
  10. firm — steady
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. land — ground
  14. firm — decided
  15. staff — a stick
  16. scale — in music
  17. mate — a partner
  18. staff — employees
  19. game — wild animals
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. firm — a company
  22. scale — size or range
  23. game — a match
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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