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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rash — hasty
  3. club — a group
  4. clip — for paper
  5. stock — shares
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. clip — to cut
  8. swing — to play on
  9. cap — a lid
  10. swing — in golf
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lie — to recline
  16. clip — a video
  17. swing — music
  18. cap — of ice
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rash — a series
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. club — for dancing

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