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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 · craft · ball · swing · band · bowl · wave · bulb

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. swing — to play on
  5. band — a ring
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. ball — a great time
  9. craft — boats
  10. band — a music group
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bulb — for light
  16. club — for dancing
  17. craft — a skill
  18. club — for golf
  19. bulb — for light
  20. club — a group
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. swing — in golf
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. swing — music

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