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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: foot · fork · drill · staff · fine · cue · face · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fine — high quality
  4. staff — a stick
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cue — for pool
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fine — all right
  9. staff — employees
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. staff — employees
  14. cue — a signal
  15. face — to confront
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. drill — army training
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cue — a hint
  23. face — part of the head
  24. drill — the tool

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