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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. net — after costs
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. net — in sport
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. staff — employees
  15. tube — a container
  16. spell — a short time
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pop — music
  20. spell — magic
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. net — for catching
  23. spell — letters
  24. calf — a young 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