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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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468
Word bank
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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. spell — letters
  5. club — a group
  6. charge — electricity
  7. swing — in golf
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. row — a line
  11. root — of a word
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. root — the cause
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. charge — in control
  16. spell — a short time
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. charge — a price
  19. club — for dancing
  20. tube — a container
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. spell — magic
  24. root — of a plant

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