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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. scale — in music
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. drill — army training
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. scale — size or range
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rock — a stone
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. drill — the tool
  21. staff — a stick
  22. court — of law
  23. rock — music
  24. staff — employees

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