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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: staff · game · roll · track · object · dip · last · suit

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. last — finally
  5. roll — a cake
  6. object — an aim
  7. suit — to fit
  8. dip — to sink
  9. suit — in cards
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. staff — employees
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. track — to keep track
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. object — to protest
  19. game — wild animals
  20. staff — a stick
  21. roll — a list
  22. staff — employees
  23. suit — clothes
  24. roll — on a roll

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