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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: net · jam · staff · object · mouse · last · wake · game

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. object — a thing
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. net — for catching
  5. last — final
  6. staff — employees
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. object — to protest
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. net — after costs
  14. game — a match
  15. wake — a trail
  16. last — to go on
  17. net — in sport
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. last — finally
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. game — wild animals
  23. staff — employees
  24. object — an aim

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