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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. current — happening now
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. swing — music
  7. ground — a position
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. current — electric
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ball — a great time
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. current — of water
  17. bark — to shout
  18. plane — a tool
  19. swing — to play on
  20. ground — crushed
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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