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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: last · cold · pop · safe · racket · ball · stick · staff

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. last — to go on
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. staff — a stick
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ball — a great time
  10. staff — employees
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pop — to visit
  14. last — final
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pop — music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cold — not warm
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. last — finally
  22. cold — an illness
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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