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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · fan · club · pop · mate · staff · spring · fork

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pop — soda
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. club — a group
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. club — for dancing
  9. spring — of water
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mate — a partner
  13. staff — employees
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pop — to visit
  17. swing — music
  18. staff — a stick
  19. swing — to play on
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. club — for golf
  23. staff — employees
  24. pop — music

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