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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. staff — employees
  3. roll — a list
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. suit — to fit
  8. staff — employees
  9. pop — soda
  10. tube — a container
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. tube — the underground
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. deal — to handle
  20. season — in sport
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. season — of the year
  23. coach — a trainer
  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