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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: mouse · wound · tube · board · prune · fan · ground · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ground — a position
  5. board — a committee
  6. ground — the earth
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ground — crushed
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. board — to get on
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. tube — the underground
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. tube — a container
  24. board — a flat piece

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