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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: pitcher · bear · bulb · roll · bowl · kick · rush · swing

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kick — in football
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. swing — music
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. roll — a list
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rush — a thrill
  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