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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: game · chest · swing · pit · nail · bank · calf · current

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. bank — of a river
  8. swing — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bank — for money
  13. pit — a hole
  14. swing — to play on
  15. chest — of your body
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. game — a match
  19. current — happening now
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bank — for money
  23. chest — a box
  24. pit — in a race

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