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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: pop · court · board · mug · saw · lie · tube · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pop — to visit
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. swing — music
  7. court — of law
  8. lie — to recline
  9. court — for sport
  10. board — to get on
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mug — a face
  14. pop — music
  15. court — of a king
  16. mug — to rob
  17. board — a committee
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pop — soda
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. swing — to play on
  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