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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. last — final
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. staff — employees
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pitch — completely
  9. spring — of water
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. last — finally
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. spring — the season
  17. last — to go on
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. staff — employees
  21. spring — a coil
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. swing — music
  24. mouse — the animal

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