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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. club — for golf
  5. swing — music
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. craft — a skill
  8. stand — to bear
  9. face — to confront
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mate — to breed
  12. face — to point toward
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wound — an injury
  16. club — for dancing
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rock — music
  20. craft — boats
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. swing — to play on
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mate — a partner

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