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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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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: dip · race · swing · key · stick · pop · bowl · calf

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. swing — music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. key — in music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. swing — to play on
  20. key — for a lock
  21. swing — in golf
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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