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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. swing — in golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. club — for golf
  7. stock — goods
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rule — government
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stock — shares
  14. swing — to play on
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. shower — rain
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. swing — music
  20. hand — help
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. shower — to wash
  23. club — a group
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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