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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. club — for golf
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. club — for dancing
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. net — after costs
  12. ground — the earth
  13. club — a group
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rule — government
  16. net — for catching
  17. swing — music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rule — a law
  20. swing — in golf
  21. net — in sport
  22. ground — a position
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hide — to keep secret

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