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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: sharp · jam · mouse · field · swing · saw · kick · wind

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. field — a subject
  3. kick — in football
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. sharp — clever
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. wind — moving air
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. saw — the tool
  18. swing — music
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mouse — for a computer

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