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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — in a race
  5. staff — a stick
  6. object — a thing
  7. track — a path
  8. hand — in cards
  9. staff — employees
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. track — a song
  12. object — to protest
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. track — to keep track
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. object — an aim
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bear — the animal

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