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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 116 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
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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: staff · fan · kid · land · swing · rock · deal · ground

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. land — to come down
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rock — a stone
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. kid — child
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. ground — the earth
  13. deal — to handle
  14. swing — music
  15. ground — a position
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. swing — in golf
  20. land — ground
  21. swing — to play on
  22. land — a country
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fan — to cool the air

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