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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 116 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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. field — for sport
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. staff — employees
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. sharp — clever
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. field — farmland
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. chip — to eat
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. hand — help
  18. row — a line
  19. field — a subject
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. staff — a stick
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. hand — in cards
  24. row — to paddle

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