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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: game · pound · roll · date · staff · key · suit · craft

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pound — a weight
  4. staff — employees
  5. craft — a skill
  6. suit — clothes
  7. craft — boats
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. staff — a stick
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. game — a match
  15. key — in music
  16. suit — in cards
  17. roll — a list
  18. date — the fruit
  19. key — the most important part
  20. roll — a cake
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. staff — employees
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. game — wild animals

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