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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pound — a weight
  4. swing — music
  5. staff — employees
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. swing — to play on
  8. staff — employees
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. deal — to handle
  12. spring — a coil
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. swing — in golf
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rule — a law
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. season — of the year
  23. rule — government
  24. pound — for dogs

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