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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: cap · chair · swing · racket · foot · bear · hand · net

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. chair — a leader
  6. hand — help
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. cap — a lid
  14. net — in sport
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. swing — to play on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. net — for catching
  19. cap — of ice
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bear — the animal
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. net — after costs
  24. hand — in cards

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