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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 116 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. root — the cause
  3. craft — boats
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. swing — in golf
  6. tube — the underground
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rule — government
  9. swing — music
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bank — for money
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. club — a group
  18. rule — a law
  19. bank — for money
  20. tube — a container
  21. root — of a word
  22. bank — of a river
  23. root — of a plant
  24. swing — to play on

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