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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. club — for dancing
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. swing — music
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. swing — in golf
  12. club — a group
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pound — a weight
  15. swing — to play on
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer

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