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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. clip — a video
  3. club — for dancing
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. clip — for paper
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — after costs
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bank — for money
  12. net — in sport
  13. key — in music
  14. suit — to fit
  15. swing — music
  16. bank — of a river
  17. net — for catching
  18. club — a group
  19. key — the most important part
  20. clip — to cut
  21. suit — in cards
  22. club — for golf
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. suit — clothes

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