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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: game · rest · staff · deal · board · racket · jam · swing

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rest — what's left
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. game — wild animals
  6. board — to get on
  7. staff — employees
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rest — what's left
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. deal — to handle
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. game — a match
  20. staff — employees
  21. rest — a break
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. swing — to play on
  24. racket — a loud noise

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