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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 124 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. toast — bread
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. staff — employees
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bat — the animal
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. root — the cause
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. root — of a word

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