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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 120 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: stand · current · shower · swing · plane · calf · bowl · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. current — electric
  4. stand — to bear
  5. current — of water
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. club — a group
  9. shower — rain
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. current — happening now
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. swing — music
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. swing — in golf
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. club — for dancing

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