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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: key · nail · staff · rush · fall · fine · pitcher · jam

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. fine — all right
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fall — to drop
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. key — the most important part
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. fine — high quality
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. key — in music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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