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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wound — an injury
  11. staff — employees
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rush — hurry
  20. tube — a container
  21. can — a tin
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. can — a tin
  24. bat — in an idiom

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