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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stand — to bear
  4. swing — music
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pop — music
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. club — for golf
  14. stock — shares
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pop — soda
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. season — of the year
  20. stock — goods
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pop — to visit

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