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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. present — the time now
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bass — low music
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cap — a hat
  9. present — there
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. cap — a lid
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. present — a gift
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bass — the instrument

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