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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. club — a group
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stock — goods
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. face — to confront
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bass — low music
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. track — a song
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. track — a path
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bass — the fish
  18. track — to keep track
  19. swing — music
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pass — a permit
  22. club — for golf
  23. pass — to spend time
  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