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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cap — of ice
  5. swing — in golf
  6. key — in music
  7. mug — a face
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cap — a hat
  10. perch — the fish
  11. swing — to play on
  12. club — a group
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. mug — a cup
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mark — a grade
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. swing — music
  19. cap — a lid
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mark — a trace

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