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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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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 · staff · swing · fine · mate · rule · craft · snap

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. swing — to play on
  4. mate — to breed
  5. snap — to click
  6. staff — employees
  7. fine — high quality
  8. club — for golf
  9. rule — a law
  10. mate — a friend
  11. club — a group
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rule — government
  14. swing — in golf
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. staff — employees
  19. mate — a partner
  20. swing — music
  21. club — for dancing
  22. craft — boats
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. staff — a stick

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