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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: staff · pound · deal · squash · object · stick · present · swing

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. deal — to handle
  4. swing — to play on
  5. object — an aim
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. staff — employees
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. swing — music
  10. staff — a stick
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. present — there
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. object — a thing
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. swing — in golf
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. present — a gift
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. object — to protest
  22. pound — a weight
  23. squash — the sport
  24. present — the time now

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