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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: board · rock · content · bat · suit · toast · staff · tear

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rock — a stone
  3. content — the amount
  4. staff — employees
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bat — the animal
  7. suit — in cards
  8. tear — from crying
  9. staff — a stick
  10. content — happy
  11. board — a committee
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — bread
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. board — to get on
  21. tear — from crying
  22. suit — clothes
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bat — for baseball

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