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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. club — a group
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cue — a signal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. chest — a box
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. club — for golf
  9. staff — employees
  10. file — a document
  11. bulb — for light
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. club — for dancing
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. swing — music
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cue — a hint

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