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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.

Make a worksheet

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: staff · calf · pit · swing · rush · leaves · rock · racket

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pit — in a race
  4. staff — a stick
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pit — a hole
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rock — music
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. swing — music
  20. staff — employees
  21. rock — a stone
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. swing — to play on
  24. leaves — of a tree

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