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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: swing · hand · kick · deal · fork · cell · mark · board

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cell — in biology
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. kick — in football
  11. board — a committee
  12. mark — a trace
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. board — to get on
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. cell — a phone
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fork — in a road
  23. hand — help
  24. cell — in a prison

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