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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 116 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. ball — a great time
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. club — for golf
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. row — to paddle
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. swing — in golf
  13. can — a tin
  14. swing — to play on
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. swing — music
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wax — to grow
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ball — a dance

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