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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 120 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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. cap — a hat
  3. swing — music
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rock — a stone
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rock — music
  10. lie — to recline
  11. spell — a short time
  12. swing — to play on
  13. hand — help
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. chip — for betting
  18. swing — in golf
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — for golf
  23. cap — of ice
  24. hand — in cards

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