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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: arm · spell · swing · drill · prune · pop · staff · ball

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pop — to visit
  7. swing — music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. swing — to play on
  10. drill — a practice
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spell — magic
  13. pop — soda
  14. ball — a great time
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pop — music
  17. spell — letters
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. staff — employees
  22. swing — in golf
  23. drill — army training
  24. arm — a part of something

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