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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. track — to keep track
  6. net — in sport
  7. staff — a stick
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. staff — employees
  10. net — for catching
  11. swing — in golf
  12. net — after costs
  13. spring — of water
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. track — a song
  17. toast — bread
  18. track — a path
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. drill — a practice

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