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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. land — ground
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mark — a grade
  9. toast — bread
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. land — a country
  13. fine — all right
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. land — to come down
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. cabinet — ministers

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