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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. swing — music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stand — to bear
  11. club — for golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. club — a group
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. ball — a dance
  17. march — the month
  18. club — for dancing
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. march — music
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. march — the month
  24. bark — to shout

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