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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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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: row · bear · stick · key · land · racket · staff · pop

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. land — to come down
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. staff — employees
  7. key — for a lock
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. key — the most important part
  12. row — to paddle
  13. key — in music
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pop — to visit
  16. land — ground
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pop — music
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pop — soda
  23. row — a line
  24. land — a country

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