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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 120 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. fork — in a road
  4. club — for golf
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. swing — music
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. spring — the season
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. club — for dancing
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bass — the fish
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. club — a group
  19. swing — in golf
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. swing — to play on

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