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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: lean · shower · pound · board · pit · staff · game · fine

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fine — high quality
  5. staff — employees
  6. board — to get on
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. shower — rain
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pit — in a race
  19. board — a committee
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. fine — all right
  24. board — a flat piece

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