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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. spell — a short time
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spell — magic
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. swing — to play on
  12. march — the month
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. swing — music
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. march — the month
  20. spell — letters
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. march — music

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