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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bound — tied together
  5. swing — in golf
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. swing — music
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rush — hurry
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fine — all right
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bound — obliged
  20. club — for dancing
  21. swing — to play on
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bound — certain

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