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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. deal — to handle
  4. track — to keep track
  5. season — of the year
  6. track — a song
  7. chair — a leader
  8. court — for sport
  9. staff — a stick
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. swing — music
  14. court — of law
  15. swing — to play on
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. track — a path
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. chair — to sit on

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