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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 · ground · bowl · rock · stick · coach · staff · snap

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. staff — employees
  4. last — finally
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. last — final
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. snap — to click
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rock — a stone
  21. staff — employees
  22. last — to go on
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ground — crushed

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