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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: club · can · swing · drill · lash · last · stock · band

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. band — a ring
  4. drill — a practice
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stock — shares
  7. band — a music group
  8. last — to go on
  9. stock — goods
  10. drill — the tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. swing — music
  14. club — for golf
  15. swing — in golf
  16. can — a tin
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. club — a group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. can — to be able to
  24. swing — to play on

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