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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: fan · pit · land · staff · firm · swing · toast · sharp

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. land — ground
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. land — to come down
  6. sharp — clever
  7. staff — a stick
  8. swing — to play on
  9. toast — bread
  10. staff — employees
  11. pit — in a race
  12. firm — a company
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. land — a country
  17. firm — steady
  18. pit — a hole
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. firm — decided

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