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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. band — a music group
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. staff — a stick
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. charge — in control
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. band — a ring
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. drill — army training
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. charge — a price
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. drill — the tool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. staff — employees
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. drill — a practice
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. deal — to handle

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