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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. swing — music
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fork — in a road
  13. club — a group
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. band — a ring
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. band — a music group
  23. club — for golf
  24. fine — high quality

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