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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: calf · net · swing · track · foot · mark · fork · club

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. club — for golf
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. club — a group
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mark — a trace
  8. club — for dancing
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. track — to keep track
  11. net — for catching
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. net — in sport
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. swing — to play on
  16. track — a song
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. net — after costs
  19. track — a path
  20. swing — music
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fork — in a road
  24. swing — in golf

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