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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. key — in music
  6. band — a ring
  7. row — to paddle
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. band — a music group
  11. current — happening now
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. current — of water
  15. staff — a stick
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pass — a permit
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. current — electric
  22. staff — employees
  23. row — a line
  24. racket — for tennis

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