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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. chip — for betting
  3. march — the month
  4. cell — in biology
  5. swing — in golf
  6. track — a path
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. march — the month
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. swing — to play on
  12. club — a group
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chip — to eat
  16. track — to keep track
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. swing — music
  23. track — a song
  24. cell — in a prison

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