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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 116 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. field — farmland
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. swing — to play on
  7. vault — a safe
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. field — for sport
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bark — to shout
  13. deal — to handle
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. field — a subject
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. club — for golf
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. deal — a big deal

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