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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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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: roll · cap · object · present · staff · pit · stick · rule

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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. staff — employees
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rule — a law
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. object — an aim
  9. pit — in a race
  10. present — a gift
  11. roll — a list
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. present — the time now
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. object — to protest
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. present — there
  22. object — a thing
  23. rule — government
  24. cap — a lid

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