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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. bulb — for light
  4. staff — a stick
  5. drill — the tool
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spring — of water
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a list
  15. land — to come down
  16. spring — the season
  17. can — to be able to
  18. land — a country
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — army training
  21. spring — a coil
  22. land — ground
  23. roll — a cake
  24. deal — to handle

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