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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: club · bear · staff · firm · swing · mine · chip · saw

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. chip — for betting
  3. staff — employees
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. firm — a company
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. firm — steady
  13. swing — to play on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. staff — a stick
  17. club — for dancing
  18. swing — music
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. firm — decided
  21. club — a group
  22. chip — to eat
  23. club — for golf
  24. mine — belonging to me

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