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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · staff · swing · fine · mate · rule

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rule — a law
  7. club — a group
  8. staff — employees
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rule — government
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fine — all right
  14. staff — employees
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. club — for golf

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