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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 · mine · ruler · pitch · swing · perch · staff · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. staff — a stick
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mine — for digging
  7. perch — the fish
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mate — to breed
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitch — completely
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. swing — music
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. club — a group
  17. mate — a friend
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. staff — employees
  22. swing — to play on
  23. staff — employees
  24. club — for golf

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