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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: bowl · hide · foot · swing · racket · coach

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. swing — music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. swing — in golf
  8. foot — a measure
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. swing — to play on
  18. foot — the bottom

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