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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cue — for pool
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cue — a hint
  6. object — to protest
  7. squash — the sport
  8. clip — to cut
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. staff — employees
  11. clip — a video
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. clip — for paper
  14. cue — a signal
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. foot — a measure
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. staff — a stick

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