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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. club — a group
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wound — an injury
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. swing — to play on
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. dip — to sink
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wound — an injury
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. ball — a great time
  24. swing — music

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