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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. club — for golf
  5. pop — to visit
  6. game — wild animals
  7. row — to paddle
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. pop — music
  11. firm — decided
  12. club — for dancing
  13. game — a match
  14. row — a line
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pop — soda
  17. club — a group
  18. swing — in 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