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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 mare is ________________ in color.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. swing — music
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. club — for golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. land — a country
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. net — in sport
  11. land — ground
  12. deal — to handle
  13. land — to come down
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. swing — in golf
  18. spell — letters
  19. club — a group
  20. spell — a short time
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. spell — magic
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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