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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 120 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: fork · mug · snap · swing · club · march · dip · leaves

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fork — in a road
  3. club — a group
  4. march — the month
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — a face
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. snap — to click
  12. march — the month
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. swing — in golf
  16. club — for golf
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mug — to rob
  20. dip — to sink
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. march — music

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