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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 120 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: pit · racket · shower · pop · plane · squash · chest · swing

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pop — soda
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. swing — in golf
  6. chest — of your body
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. shower — rain
  9. pit — in a race
  10. chest — a box
  11. squash — the sport
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. swing — to play on
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pop — to visit
  18. swing — music
  19. plane — a tool
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pop — music
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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