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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: swing · clip · squash · mouse · bowl · roll · pitcher · net

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. clip — for paper
  7. roll — a cake
  8. net — in sport
  9. roll — a list
  10. squash — to crush
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. clip — a video
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. swing — music
  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