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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. swing — in golf
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. tube — a container
  7. staff — employees
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bound — tied together
  10. staff — a stick
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. root — the cause
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bound — obliged
  20. tube — the underground
  21. swing — music
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bound — certain
  24. sharp — with an edge

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