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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: cabinet · firm · bark · rest · game · staff · season · deal

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. firm — steady
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. season — in sport
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. season — of the year
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. staff — employees
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. game — a match
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. firm — a company
  21. staff — employees
  22. rest — what's left
  23. firm — decided
  24. season — to add flavour

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