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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stand — to bear
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. band — a music group
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — happy
  21. staff — employees
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. perch — the fish
  24. staff — a stick

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