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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. drill — army training
  4. field — for sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. drill — the tool
  7. scale — in music
  8. field — farmland
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. swing — to play on
  15. field — a subject
  16. swing — in golf
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. swing — music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. club — a group
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rush — hurry

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