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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. rash — a series
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. club — for golf
  6. pop — music
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pop — soda
  12. kid — to tease
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. swing — in golf
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. kid — child
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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