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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. staff — employees
  4. firm — a company
  5. game — a match
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stand — to bear
  9. clip — to cut
  10. foot — a measure
  11. firm — decided
  12. key — in music
  13. firm — steady
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. key — for a lock
  21. staff — a stick
  22. key — the most important part
  23. staff — employees
  24. game — wild animals

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