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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. fine — high quality
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rest — what's left
  11. staff — employees
  12. fine — all right
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. race — the arms race
  15. staff — a stick
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mine — for digging
  18. toast — bread
  19. suit — in cards
  20. race — humankind
  21. rest — a break
  22. race — a contest
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mine — an explosive

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