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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: fine · swing · club · toast · snap · game · deal · rock

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. club — for golf
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fine — all right
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rock — music
  9. game — a match
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rock — a stone
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. club — a group
  14. toast — bread
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. snap — to click
  24. game — wild animals

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