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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · temple · rush · file · chair · club · object · swing

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. file — a line of people
  4. object — an aim
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pound — a weight
  9. club — for dancing
  10. file — a tool
  11. swing — in golf
  12. club — a group
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. object — a thing
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. club — for golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. file — a document
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. swing — music
  23. object — to protest
  24. chair — a professorship

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