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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: bay · hand · pitcher · swing · bound · cabinet · game · fan

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bound — tied together
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. hand — help
  10. bound — obliged
  11. swing — in golf
  12. game — wild animals
  13. swing — music
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bound — certain
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. swing — to play on
  24. game — a match

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