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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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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: ball · swing · land · stand · firm · bowl · kick · key

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. swing — in golf
  3. land — a country
  4. stand — to bear
  5. land — ground
  6. ball — a dance
  7. key — the most important part
  8. firm — steady
  9. key — for a lock
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. firm — decided
  14. key — in music
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. firm — a company
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. kick — in football
  21. land — to come down
  22. swing — music
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bowl — to roll

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