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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 King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. last — finally
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. last — to go on
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. staff — employees
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. staff — a stick
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stem — to come from
  15. last — final
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pit — in a race
  18. date — the fruit
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pit — a hole

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