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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · bay · deal · pit · staff · calf

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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. bay — to keep at bay
  4. deal — to handle
  5. present — the time now
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. present — there
  9. staff — a stick
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pit — in a race
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. present — a gift
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. staff — employees

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