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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pit — a hole
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wind — moving air
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wind — moving air
  8. staff — a stick
  9. cue — for pool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rock — a stone
  12. staff — employees
  13. mug — a face
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mug — a cup
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rock — music
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. field — a subject
  24. wind — to turn a key

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