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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: arm · fine · swing · kick · season · firm · shower · ball

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. fine — all right
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. season — in sport
  8. firm — steady
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. swing — music
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. firm — decided
  16. kick — in football
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ball — a dance
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. season — of the year
  21. firm — a company
  22. shower — rain
  23. ball — a great time
  24. shower — to wash

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