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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: swing · degree · craft · foot · jam · rush · board · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rush — hurry
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. kick — in football
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. foot — a measure
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. board — a committee
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. board — to get on
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. degree — temperature
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. degree — an amount

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