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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: swing · racket · chest · rest · cap · bowl

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. swing — music
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rest — a break
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rest — what's left
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cap — a lid
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cap — of ice
  16. chest — a box
  17. cap — a hat
  18. swing — in golf

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