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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. club — for golf
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. club — a group
  8. bass — low music
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bass — the fish
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mate — a friend
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ground — the earth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ground — a position
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. swing — music

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