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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cell — in biology
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. cell — a phone
  10. staff — employees
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. board — to get on
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. ground — the earth
  15. sharp — clever
  16. ground — crushed
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. board — a committee
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. board — a flat piece
  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