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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cap — of ice
  3. chip — to eat
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. scale — size or range
  7. stock — goods
  8. swing — music
  9. club — for dancing
  10. cap — a hat
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. scale — in music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. swing — to play on
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cap — a lid
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. chip — for betting
  21. drill — army training
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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