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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.

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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: file · racket · bowl · cap · bound · swing

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. swing — music
  3. cap — a lid
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. file — a document
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. swing — in golf
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bound — certain
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool

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