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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. ball — a great time
  4. kid — child
  5. swing — music
  6. club — for dancing
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. swing — to play on
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. swing — in golf
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. staff — employees
  16. board — to get on
  17. pit — in a race
  18. board — a committee
  19. club — a group
  20. kid — to tease
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. club — for golf
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pit — a hole

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