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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: nail · bat · suit · calf · pound · file · swing · bowl

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. suit — to fit
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. suit — clothes
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. swing — music
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. file — a tool
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. file — a document
  17. suit — in cards
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bat — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pound — a weight
  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