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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 120 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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rock — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rock — a stone
  7. club — for golf
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. tube — a container
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. swing — to play on
  20. deal — to handle
  21. swing — music
  22. club — a group
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bark — of a tree

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