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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.

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: cabinet · last · racket · chest · fine · staff · roll · key

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. staff — employees
  3. key — in music
  4. fine — high quality
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chest — of your body
  10. last — to go on
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. roll — a cake
  13. last — finally
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. chest — a box
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fine — all right
  19. staff — employees
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. key — the most important part
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. roll — a list
  24. last — final

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