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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. fork — in a road
  6. land — to come down
  7. rush — hurry
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. land — a country
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. club — for dancing
  13. staff — employees
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. squash — the sport
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. staff — a stick
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. staff — employees

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