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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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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: bear · staff · land · cabinet · plane · press · jam · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. game — a match
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. land — ground
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. staff — employees
  12. plane — a tool
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bear — the animal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. land — to come down
  17. staff — employees
  18. press — to push
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bear — the animal
  21. land — a country
  22. game — wild animals
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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