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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: club · mug · perch · rest · present · key · swing · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. club — a group
  3. mug — a face
  4. snap — to click
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. present — there
  8. club — for golf
  9. key — the most important part
  10. swing — music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. key — for a lock
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rest — what's left
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. perch — the fish
  17. present — a gift
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. key — in music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. club — for dancing
  22. present — the time now
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rest — a break

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