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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
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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: swing · wound · pitcher · cabinet · cap · lash · board · game

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — a committee
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cap — a hat
  8. game — a match
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cap — of ice
  12. swing — music
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wound — an injury
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cap — a lid
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. swing — to play on
  24. board — a flat piece

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