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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bore — to tire
  3. club — a group
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. club — for golf
  6. fall — the season
  7. chest — of your body
  8. swing — music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. scale — in music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cue — a hint
  17. swing — in golf
  18. scale — size or range
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bore — to drill
  23. chest — a box
  24. bore — gave birth

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