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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: saw · date · dip · swing · rash · fan · racket · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. swing — in golf
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. date — the fruit
  5. swing — music
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rash — hasty
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. dip — to sink
  10. saw — the tool
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rash — a series
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. swing — to play on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. dip — a sauce

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