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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wind — moving air
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. last — final
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. staff — a stick
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. swing — to play on
  10. staff — employees
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. club — for dancing
  13. last — to go on
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. swing — music
  17. staff — employees
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rule — government
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rule — a law
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. last — finally
  24. wind — moving air

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