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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: leaves · field · toast · date · ruler · object · firm · staff

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. staff — employees
  3. field — for sport
  4. staff — employees
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. firm — steady
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. date — the fruit
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. toast — bread
  12. staff — a stick
  13. field — farmland
  14. object — a thing
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. field — a subject
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. object — an aim
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. date — on the calendar

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