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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 116 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. prune — to trim
  3. swing — in golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. can — a tin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. swing — music
  14. spring — the season
  15. swing — to play on
  16. spring — of water
  17. court — for sport
  18. can — a tin
  19. spring — a coil
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. court — of a king
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. court — of law
  24. club — for golf

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