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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fine — high quality
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. cell — in biology
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fine — all right
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cue — a hint
  19. swing — music
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cell — a phone
  24. band — a rubber band

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