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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: trunk · bowl · stick · calf · ground · swing · club · bass

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. club — for golf
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bass — low music
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ground — crushed
  14. club — for dancing
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. swing — music
  20. ground — the earth
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. club — a group
  24. ground — a position

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