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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. drill — army training
  3. bark — to shout
  4. drill — a practice
  5. club — for golf
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. drill — the tool
  8. race — humankind
  9. club — a group
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. club — for dancing
  12. race — a contest
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. key — in music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pound — a weight
  21. tube — a container
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. swing — music

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