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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. swing — music
  3. band — a ring
  4. bulb — for light
  5. staff — employees
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. staff — a stick
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. kick — in football
  12. net — for catching
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. net — in sport
  18. swing — in golf
  19. net — after costs
  20. bulb — for light
  21. swing — to play on
  22. staff — employees
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. squash — the sport

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