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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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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: current · fork · drill · straw · swing · club · calf · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. current — electric
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. current — of water
  8. drill — a practice
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. drill — army training
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. fork — in a road
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. club — for golf
  15. current — happening now
  16. club — a group
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. club — for dancing
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pitch — completely
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pitch — a sports field

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