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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 · squash · nail · deal · swing · can · bat · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. can — a tin
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. swing — music
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. squash — the sport
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bat — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. squash — to crush
  16. can — to be able to
  17. swing — in golf
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. can — a tin
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. swing — to play on

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