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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. swing — to play on
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. club — for golf
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. swing — in golf
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. swing — music
  10. scale — in music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. land — ground
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. club — a group
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. club — for dancing
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. land — a country
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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