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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 116 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: tear · swing · board · calf · mark · club

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. club — for dancing
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. club — for golf
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. club — a group
  9. tear — from crying
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. swing — in golf
  12. board — to get on
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mark — a trace
  16. swing — music
  17. tear — to rip
  18. mark — a grade

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