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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. club — for golf
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. club — a group
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. swing — in golf
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. club — for dancing
  10. fall — the season
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. fall — to drop
  15. swing — music
  16. fall — to drop
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle

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