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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. swing — music
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mate — a friend
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. fall — the season
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mate — to breed
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fall — to drop
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. roll — a list
  23. fall — to drop
  24. roll — a cake

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