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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cell — in biology
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. track — a song
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. swing — music
  10. wake — a trail
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ball — a great time
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. club — a group
  17. track — a path
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — a phone
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wax — to grow
  23. track — to keep track
  24. swing — to play on

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