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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: bear · board · kick · swing · club · fork · march · field

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. field — for sport
  3. club — a group
  4. swing — in golf
  5. club — for dancing
  6. swing — to play on
  7. club — for golf
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. kick — in football
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. board — to get on
  13. march — the month
  14. bear — the animal
  15. march — the month
  16. fork — in a road
  17. march — music
  18. swing — music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. kick — a thrill

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