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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: last · staff · mark · board · deal · date · bay · key

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. board — to get on
  3. mark — a trace
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. staff — employees
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. last — to go on
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. board — a committee
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. last — finally
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. key — the most important part
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mark — a grade
  19. last — final
  20. date — the fruit
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. key — in music
  24. date — on the calendar

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