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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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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: pound · ground · swing · kick · stick · patient · bank · bowl

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bank — of a river
  8. ground — the earth
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bank — for money
  16. swing — to play on
  17. ground — a position
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bank — for money
  20. ground — crushed
  21. kick — in football
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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