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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: wind · leaves · bowl · board · court · pitch · rush · swing

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. court — for sport
  5. swing — in golf
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. swing — music
  8. court — of law
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. board — a committee
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. court — of a king
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wind — moving air
  23. board — to get on
  24. bowl — to roll

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