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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: court · shower · cabinet · wave · fork · swing · wound · bowl

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fork — in a road
  11. court — of a king
  12. shower — rain
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. swing — music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. shower — to wash
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bowl — a football final

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