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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. kick — in football
  3. swing — in golf
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. object — to protest
  8. content — the amount
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. game — wild animals
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. object — an aim
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. dip — to sink
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. content — happy
  20. object — a thing
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. swing — to play on
  24. kick — with a leg

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