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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wax — to grow
  7. snap — to click
  8. roll — a list
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. club — a group
  18. roll — a cake
  19. chip — to eat
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stand — to bear
  24. wind — moving air

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