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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: ball · firm · game · leaves · band · lie · mug · staff

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. staff — employees
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. firm — steady
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mug — a face
  11. band — a ring
  12. ball — a great time
  13. band — a music group
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mug — to rob
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. game — a match
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mug — a cup
  23. staff — employees
  24. lie — to recline

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