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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: fine · dip · foot · bowl · game · mate · cue · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. game — a match
  3. staff — employees
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. foot — a measure
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fine — all right
  15. mate — a friend
  16. staff — employees
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mate — to breed
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fine — high quality
  24. dip — a sauce

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