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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · bowl · shower · staff · swing · pit · nail · saw

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. saw — the tool
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pit — in a race
  6. game — wild animals
  7. swing — music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. staff — employees
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. shower — rain
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. staff — employees
  23. pit — a hole
  24. game — a match

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