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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: rule · bowl · swing · pop · racket · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pop — music
  6. rule — a law
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pop — soda
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. swing — music
  13. rule — government
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. pop — to visit

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