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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. firm — a company
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. club — for golf
  6. object — an aim
  7. club — for dancing
  8. swing — music
  9. firm — decided
  10. club — a group
  11. rest — what's left
  12. firm — steady
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rest — a break
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rest — what's left

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