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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 · ground · wound · swing · bowl · calf · dip · board

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. board — a committee
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. game — wild animals
  10. swing — to play on
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. game — a match
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ground — the earth
  17. swing — music
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. wound — an injury
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ground — crushed
  22. board — to get on
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. ground — a position

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