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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 116 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: fan · fine · pitcher · kick · deal · board · saw · swing

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. kick — in football
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fine — all right
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. saw — the tool
  17. deal — to handle
  18. swing — to play on
  19. board — a committee
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. fine — high quality
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fine — a penalty

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