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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pop — music
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. charge — a price
  7. staff — a stick
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ground — crushed
  10. squash — the sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. charge — electricity
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pop — to visit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. charge — in control
  19. pop — soda
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rush — hurry
  22. staff — employees
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ground — a position

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