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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. fall — the season
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fall — to drop
  7. kick — in football
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. ball — a great time
  17. staff — employees
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fall — to drop

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