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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: staff · fine · shower · mark · rush · roll · bear · pit

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bear — the animal
  6. roll — a list
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. staff — employees
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fine — all right
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pit — a hole
  24. roll — a cake

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