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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. present — there
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. board — to get on
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. ground — a position
  12. board — a committee
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. staff — employees
  17. present — a gift
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. mark — a grade
  24. present — the time now

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