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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 120 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: dip · swing · stick · board · calf · bulb · hand · pit

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. dip — to sink
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pit — a hole
  6. board — to get on
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bulb — for light
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. swing — music
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. hand — help
  22. bulb — for light
  23. swing — in golf
  24. hand — in cards

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