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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · club · object · coach · swing · row · saw · bowl

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. club — for golf
  3. ground — crushed
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. club — for dancing
  9. row — to paddle
  10. swing — in golf
  11. ground — the earth
  12. club — a group
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. object — a thing
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ground — a position
  21. row — a line
  22. object — an aim
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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