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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: mate · bat · cell · suit · march · staff · fine · nail

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. suit — clothes
  3. staff — employees
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. staff — a stick
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cell — in biology
  13. suit — in cards
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mate — a partner
  20. march — music
  21. fine — all right
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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