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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: bark · band · cabinet · swing · mine · bowl · calf · foot

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bark — to shout
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. foot — a measure
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. band — a ring
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. swing — music
  17. band — a music group
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mine — for digging
  24. swing — to play on

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