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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 120 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: staff · mouse · craft · row · tube · bay · pit · key

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. craft — boats
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pit — in a race
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. tube — a container
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. tube — the underground
  10. key — in music
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. key — for a lock
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. row — a line
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mouse — for a computer

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