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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: snap · foot · roll · fan · date · swing · pop · net

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. swing — to play on
  3. foot — a measure
  4. swing — in golf
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pop — soda
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. roll — a cake
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. net — after costs
  15. swing — music
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. date — the fruit
  18. snap — to click
  19. pop — to visit
  20. net — in sport
  21. roll — a list
  22. pop — music
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. net — for catching

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