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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. staff — employees
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. swing — music
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rule — government
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chip — to eat
  11. staff — employees
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. band — a ring
  15. swing — in golf
  16. staff — a stick
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pit — in a race
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rule — a law
  24. ground — a position

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