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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. rule — government
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. dip — to sink
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rule — a law
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. plane — a tool
  22. swing — music
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. club — a group

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