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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. spring — of water
  6. stand — to bear
  7. spring — the season
  8. swing — music
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pit — in a race
  12. spring — a coil
  13. cue — a signal
  14. hand — help
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. hand — in cards
  19. staff — employees
  20. swing — in golf
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. band — a ring
  23. staff — employees
  24. band — a music group

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