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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. club — for golf
  3. suit — clothes
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. root — the cause
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chair — a leader
  12. swing — to play on
  13. suit — to fit
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. root — of a plant
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. suit — in cards
  19. club — a group
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. club — for dancing
  24. root — of a word

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