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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 · wound · bound · ground · calf · swing · cap · rush

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. game — wild animals
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cap — a hat
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cap — a lid
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cap — of ice
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. swing — music
  23. ground — a position
  24. wound — an injury

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