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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. stock — goods
  4. swing — to play on
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. club — a group
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. tear — from crying
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pound — a weight
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stock — shares
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. tear — to rip
  24. rush — hurry

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