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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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 — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. rest — a break
  4. wake — a trail
  5. swing — music
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. swing — to play on
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. row — to paddle
  12. hand — help
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. toast — bread
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. row — a line
  22. mark — a grade
  23. club — for dancing
  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