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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. craft — a skill
  5. squash — to crush
  6. chest — of your body
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. club — for dancing
  9. swing — in golf
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. chest — a box
  12. season — in sport
  13. swing — music
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. swing — to play on
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. squash — the sport
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. season — of the year

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