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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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Word bank
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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: ball · rule · bound · jam · staff · swing · cue · mine

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. cue — a hint
  3. swing — in golf
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mine — for digging
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. staff — employees
  8. swing — music
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bound — certain
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rule — government
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. staff — employees
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. cue — for pool
  24. ball — a dance

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