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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. club — a group
  5. root — of a plant
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wax — to grow
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. staff — employees
  14. chest — a box
  15. root — the cause
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. ball — a great time
  18. chest — of your body
  19. club — for golf
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. staff — a stick
  22. root — of a word
  23. club — for dancing
  24. ball — a dance

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