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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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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: pitcher · craft · swing · land · club · hide · bound · season

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. land — ground
  3. season — in sport
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. club — for dancing
  6. season — of the year
  7. swing — music
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. swing — in golf
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. club — a group
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bound — certain
  14. swing — to play on
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bound — tied together
  21. craft — a skill
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. craft — boats
  24. bound — obliged

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