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

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bear — the animal
  6. court — for sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. can — a tin
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. can — to be able to
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. deal — to handle
  18. court — of law
  19. can — a tin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. court — of a king
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. deal — a big deal

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