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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. clip — for paper
  3. craft — a skill
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. craft — boats
  7. clip — a video
  8. swing — music
  9. clip — to cut
  10. season — of the year
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. club — for golf
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rule — government
  17. season — in sport
  18. club — for dancing
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. club — a group
  23. rule — a law
  24. bay — a horse colour

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