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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: mine · lean · club · jam · swing · can · wake · bowl

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. lean — thin
  3. club — a group
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. swing — in golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. swing — music
  10. club — for golf
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. can — to be able to
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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