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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. game — a match
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. march — music
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. march — the month
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rest — what's left
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. press — a publisher
  21. snap — to click
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. game — wild animals
  24. march — the month

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