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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: ball · lean · last · bay · game · season · staff · current

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. current — of water
  3. ball — a great time
  4. current — happening now
  5. lean — to bend
  6. last — finally
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. last — to go on
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. season — of the year
  11. lean — thin
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. game — a match
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. current — electric
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. last — final
  24. staff — employees

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