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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. squash — to crush
  4. ball — a great time
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. track — to keep track
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. capital — a city
  11. squash — the sport
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. track — a path
  15. march — music
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. craft — a skill
  19. capital — money
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. staff — employees
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. craft — boats
  24. track — a song

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