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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 116 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: club · wound · ground · kick · bass · lean · swing · ruler

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. swing — music
  3. bass — low music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. kick — in football
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ground — a position
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bass — the fish
  15. club — a group
  16. swing — to play on
  17. lean — thin
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. ground — the earth

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