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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. degree — temperature
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rest — what's left
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. degree — from a university
  13. club — for golf
  14. staff — employees
  15. court — for sport
  16. club — a group
  17. rest — a break
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. shower — rain
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. shower — to wash
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rest — what's left

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