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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — for golf
  3. swing — music
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. club — a group
  7. bore — to tire
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bound — obliged
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bore — to drill
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. snap — to click
  18. bound — tied together
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bound — certain
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. suit — clothes
  24. straw — a straw man

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