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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: swing · racket · rest · stem · bowl · bark

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. 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. swing — music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bark — to shout
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rest — a break
  15. swing — to play on
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. 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