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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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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: club · swing · arm · wave · bear · court · net · track

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. track — a song
  3. court — of a king
  4. club — a group
  5. court — for sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. court — of law
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. club — for golf
  10. net — for catching
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bear — the animal
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. club — for dancing
  19. net — after costs
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wave — of the sea

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