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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · rest · plane · dip · game · court · fan · swing

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. swing — in golf
  3. plane — a tool
  4. court — of a king
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. swing — to play on
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rest — what's left
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — a match
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. swing — music
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rest — a break
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. dip — to sink
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. court — of law

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