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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: bat · dip · bowl · wind · racket · spring · suit · coach

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wind — moving air
  9. spring — the season
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. suit — to fit
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. dip — to sink
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. spring — of water
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. suit — clothes

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