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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. swing — in golf
  4. can — a tin
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. club — a group
  8. swing — to play on
  9. club — for dancing
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. capital — a city
  14. swing — music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. can — a tin
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cap — of ice
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. capital — money
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cap — a lid

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