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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. suit — to fit
  3. spell — magic
  4. swing — music
  5. current — happening now
  6. bark — to shout
  7. spell — letters
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. current — of water
  11. club — for dancing
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. current — electric
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cue — a hint
  17. club — a group
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cue — a signal
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cue — for pool
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — to play on

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