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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. field — farmland
  5. kick — in football
  6. staff — a stick
  7. fork — in a road
  8. staff — employees
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. field — for sport
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pass — a permit
  14. snap — to click
  15. field — a subject
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pound — a weight
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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