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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: last · board · mark · club · ball · swing · date · lean

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. club — a group
  3. last — finally
  4. club — for golf
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. board — a committee
  8. last — final
  9. swing — music
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. club — for dancing
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. board — to get on
  15. last — to go on
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lean — thin
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lean — to bend
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mark — a grade
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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