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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mark — a trace
  5. spell — magic
  6. fine — high quality
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. degree — temperature
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. foot — a measure
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. degree — from a university
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. spell — letters
  16. pit — a hole
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pit — in a race

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