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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. drill — the tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mug — to rob
  6. swing — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mug — a face
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. club — for golf
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. club — a group
  16. fall — the season
  17. drill — army training
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. drill — a practice

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