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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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Word bank
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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: club · mug · race · fine · foot · swing · calf · land

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. land — a country
  3. swing — to play on
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mug — to rob
  6. club — for dancing
  7. swing — music
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. fine — all right
  11. club — a group
  12. swing — in golf
  13. land — to come down
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. club — for golf
  18. mug — a face
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mug — a cup
  21. land — ground
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. foot — a measure
  24. calf — a young animal

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