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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. swing — to play on
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — a path
  8. club — for golf
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. club — a group
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cell — in biology
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wind — moving air
  18. season — of the year
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. swing — music
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cell — a phone

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