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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pit — a hole
  4. staff — employees
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. press — to push
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. staff — a stick
  15. game — wild animals
  16. press — a publisher
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. press — newspapers
  22. game — a match
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. plane — an aircraft

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