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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. swing — in golf
  6. club — a group
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. suit — clothes
  11. swing — music
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stock — goods
  17. swing — to play on
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stock — shares
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. perch — the fish

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