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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. can — a tin
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pop — soda
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bank — for money
  10. file — a document
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bank — of a river
  13. suit — clothes
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bank — for money
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pop — to visit
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. file — a tool
  23. kid — child
  24. file — a line of people

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