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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. band — a ring
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. fine — high quality
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fine — all right
  11. swing — to play on
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. swing — in golf
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. suit — clothes
  17. spell — magic
  18. swing — music
  19. suit — in cards
  20. band — a music group
  21. mark — a grade
  22. staff — employees
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mark — a trace

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