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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. drill — the tool
  4. kick — in football
  5. drill — army training
  6. vault — a safe
  7. staff — employees
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cue — a hint
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pitch — completely
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. swing — music
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. drill — a practice
  16. swing — to play on
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. cue — for pool
  19. swing — in golf
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. nail — for a hammer

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