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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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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: mark · net · fall · pound · staff · firm · rash · spell

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. net — for catching
  3. firm — decided
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fall — the season
  8. pound — a weight
  9. net — in sport
  10. staff — employees
  11. spell — letters
  12. firm — steady
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. spell — magic
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. firm — a company
  19. net — after costs
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rash — a series
  22. fall — to drop
  23. spell — a short time
  24. staff — a stick

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