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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 120 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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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 · plane · fork · snap · club · rush · swing · bat

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. club — a group
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bat — the animal
  9. swing — music
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rush — hurry
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. club — for dancing
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. club — for golf
  24. bat — for baseball

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