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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. file — a tool
  3. capital — a city
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. swing — music
  8. club — a group
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bear — the animal
  14. club — for golf
  15. capital — money
  16. root — of a word
  17. file — a line of people
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. file — a document
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. object — to protest
  23. bear — the animal
  24. capital — a big letter

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