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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 120 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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cue — for pool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cue — a hint
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. deal — to handle
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cold — not warm
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. club — a group
  15. swing — to play on
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. swing — music
  23. cold — an illness
  24. deal — a big deal

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