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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 120 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: club · sharp · stand · mark · key · staff · wake · foot

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. foot — a measure
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. staff — employees
  7. mark — a trace
  8. club — for golf
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mark — a grade
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. sharp — clever
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. key — in music
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. club — a group
  22. staff — employees
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. foot — the bottom

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