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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. swing — in golf
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. shower — to wash
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. shower — rain
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. swing — music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. ball — a dance
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. ball — a great time

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