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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bulb — for light
  5. track — to keep track
  6. staff — employees
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bulb — for light
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. track — a song
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. staff — employees
  16. fine — all right
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. press — a publisher
  19. deal — to handle
  20. craft — boats
  21. press — to push
  22. track — a path
  23. press — newspapers
  24. craft — a skill

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