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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: game · staff · ball · face · pass · cell · pit · board

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cell — a phone
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. face — part of the head
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. ball — a dance
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. game — a match
  24. pass — a permit

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