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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: swing · pop · rush · plane · rock · game · kick · mark

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. mark — a grade
  3. swing — music
  4. kick — in football
  5. rock — music
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rock — a stone
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mark — a trace
  21. game — wild animals
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rush — a thrill

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