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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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468
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 · racket · bank · bore · board · game · wound · ball

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bore — to tire
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bank — for money
  10. board — to get on
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bank — for money
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wound — an injury
  18. swing — to play on
  19. board — a committee
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bore — to drill
  23. wound — an injury
  24. swing — music

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