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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 124 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. season — of the year
  4. swing — in golf
  5. club — for dancing
  6. roll — a cake
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. swing — to play on
  10. roll — a list
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. swing — music
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. deal — to handle
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. ground — the earth
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. club — for golf

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