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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. hand — help
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. band — a music group
  6. last — finally
  7. suit — clothes
  8. swing — to play on
  9. last — to go on
  10. court — of law
  11. pit — a hole
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. band — a ring
  15. hand — in cards
  16. court — for sport
  17. swing — music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. court — of a king
  20. last — final
  21. pit — in a race
  22. suit — to fit
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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