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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. key — in music
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. key — for a lock
  7. staff — a stick
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. key — the most important part
  12. staff — employees
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rule — government
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rush — hurry
  19. ball — a great time
  20. spring — a coil
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. rule — a law

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