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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: plane · present · racket · snap · bowl · swing

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. swing — to play on
  4. present — there
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. present — the time now
  9. swing — music
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. plane — a tool
  12. present — a gift
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. swing — in golf
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. racket — for tennis

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