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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: game · hand · date · rash · ball · wave · swing · hide

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. rash — a series
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. hand — help
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. game — wild animals
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. game — a match
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. swing — music
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. hand — in cards

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