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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. staff — employees
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. perch — the fish
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pop — music
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. game — a match
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pop — to visit
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bulb — for light
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pop — soda

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