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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pit — a hole
  6. key — the most important part
  7. staff — a stick
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. content — happy
  10. staff — employees
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. key — in music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. content — the amount
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pit — in a race
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wind — moving air
  22. dip — to sink
  23. key — for a lock
  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