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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. staff — employees
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mine — for digging
  8. can — a tin
  9. season — in sport
  10. swing — in golf
  11. can — a tin
  12. club — for golf
  13. season — of the year
  14. club — for dancing
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. swing — music
  17. club — a group
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. snap — to click
  20. swing — to play on
  21. can — to be able to
  22. staff — a stick
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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