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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stock — goods
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. track — to keep track
  5. club — for dancing
  6. shower — to wash
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. shower — rain
  10. mug — to rob
  11. club — a group
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mug — a face
  14. club — for golf
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — child
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mug — a cup
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stock — shares

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