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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: racket · craft · march · hide · swing · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. swing — in golf
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. march — music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chair — a leader
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. march — the month
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. march — the month
  13. swing — music
  14. craft — boats
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. swing — to play on
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. craft — a skill

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