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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 116 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: fall · bass · cabinet · rash · key · pit · staff · ground

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bass — the fish
  5. ground — a position
  6. staff — employees
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pit — a hole
  10. staff — employees
  11. fall — to drop
  12. key — in music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rash — a series
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. ground — the earth
  19. fall — the season
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pit — in a race
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bass — low music

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