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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. club — for golf
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ground — crushed
  8. club — a group
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rule — government
  13. club — for dancing
  14. perch — the fish
  15. sharp — clever
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. swing — music
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rule — a law
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. perch — for a bird

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