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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. band — a ring
  4. can — a tin
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. band — a music group
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wound — an injury
  13. staff — employees
  14. wound — an injury
  15. can — to be able to
  16. tube — a container
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. chair — a leader
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. staff — a stick
  24. can — a tin

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