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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: temple · fine · spell · swing · perch · chair · cue · jam

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. swing — in golf
  3. spell — magic
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fine — all right
  6. perch — the fish
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. fine — high quality
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. cue — a hint
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. spell — letters
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. swing — music
  20. spell — a short time
  21. swing — to play on
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cue — for pool
  24. temple — a place of worship

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