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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 116 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: club · snap · cell · stand · swing · mark · bay · spell

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. club — a group
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. spell — magic
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. club — for dancing
  8. spell — letters
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. club — for golf
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. spell — a short time
  18. cell — in biology
  19. mark — a trace
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. cell — a phone
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bay — a horse colour

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