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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: rush · dip · land · ball · hand · game · stick · swing

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. game — a match
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. swing — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. game — wild animals
  9. ball — a great time
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. ball — a dance
  13. land — to come down
  14. rush — hurry
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. swing — to play on
  17. land — ground
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. land — a country
  24. rush — to hurry

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