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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 120 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. firm — a company
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. staff — employees
  5. net — in sport
  6. cold — not warm
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. firm — decided
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cold — an illness
  11. net — for catching
  12. swing — to play on
  13. track — a song
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. firm — steady
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. track — a path
  22. swing — music
  23. net — after costs
  24. track — to keep track

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