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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. land — ground
  3. game — a match
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bank — for money
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bass — the fish
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. swing — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bank — for money
  15. land — to come down
  16. game — wild animals
  17. swing — in golf
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bass — low music
  21. row — a line
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. land — a country
  24. bank — of a river

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