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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fork — in a road
  5. kick — in football
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. roll — a cake
  9. club — for golf
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mate — to breed
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mate — a partner
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. club — for dancing
  19. squash — to crush
  20. roll — a list
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. swing — in golf
  24. fork — to eat with

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