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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. object — a thing
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. stock — goods
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. swing — to play on
  13. object — to protest
  14. fork — in a road
  15. game — a match
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. swing — music
  21. object — an aim
  22. stock — shares
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. court — for sport

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