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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. club — for golf
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. roll — a list
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. toast — bread
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. club — a group
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. swing — to play on
  19. club — for dancing
  20. swing — music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mate — to breed
  23. roll — a cake
  24. mate — a friend

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