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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: swing · plane · pitcher · pop · fan · field · club · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. club — a group
  5. pop — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. club — for golf
  8. pop — to visit
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. field — farmland
  11. hand — help
  12. field — a subject
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. plane — a tool
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. club — for dancing
  19. swing — in golf
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pop — soda
  22. swing — music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. field — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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