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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. swing — music
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. club — a group
  7. rest — what's left
  8. board — to get on
  9. spring — of water
  10. rule — a law
  11. rest — a break
  12. club — for golf
  13. fine — high quality
  14. staff — employees
  15. swing — in golf
  16. spring — a coil
  17. fine — all right
  18. rest — what's left
  19. board — a committee
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rule — government
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. club — for dancing

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