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

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. club — for dancing
  3. roll — a list
  4. club — for golf
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. club — a group
  8. swing — to play on
  9. roll — a cake
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. foot — a measure
  15. swing — music
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pop — soda
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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