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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: court · race · sharp · swing · club · mug · cabinet · calf

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. court — of law
  3. race — humankind
  4. swing — music
  5. mug — a cup
  6. club — a group
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mug — to rob
  11. club — for golf
  12. race — the arms race
  13. club — for dancing
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. race — a contest
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. mug — a face
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. sharp — clever

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