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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. staff — employees
  3. ball — a dance
  4. staff — a stick
  5. present — a gift
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. present — there
  8. suit — to fit
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rash — a series
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pit — a hole
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. present — the time now
  23. pit — in a race
  24. staff — employees

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