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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 · pound · mark · object · club · band · bat · nail

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. staff — employees
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. band — a ring
  9. mark — a trace
  10. object — an aim
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mark — a grade
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pound — a weight
  15. band — a music group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. object — to protest
  18. club — for golf
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. object — a thing
  22. club — a group
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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