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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · cell · board · fork · bat · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. board — to get on
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cell — in biology
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. swing — music
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bat — the animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. fork — in a road

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