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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: staff · capital · pitcher · jam · mate · hide · roll · deal

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. mate — to breed
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. roll — a list
  7. staff — employees
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mate — a partner
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. staff — employees
  14. capital — money
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. capital — a city
  18. mate — a friend
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. roll — a cake
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. pitcher — a jug

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