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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 rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. land — to come down
  3. date — the fruit
  4. club — a group
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. land — a country
  8. swing — to play on
  9. land — ground
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. club — for dancing
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. squash — the sport
  18. deal — to handle
  19. suit — clothes
  20. swing — in golf
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. swing — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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