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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. roll — a cake
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bank — for money
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. roll — a list
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. season — in sport
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bank — for money
  17. fine — high quality
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bank — of a river
  21. swing — to play on
  22. season — of the year
  23. swing — music
  24. fine — all right

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