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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. swing — in golf
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rock — music
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rock — a stone
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. swing — to play on
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. staff — employees
  16. swing — music
  17. mug — to rob
  18. staff — a stick
  19. mug — a face
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. staff — employees
  22. cell — in biology
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cell — in a prison

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