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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: bat · nail · hand · cabinet · current · swing · bowl · coach

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. swing — to play on
  8. current — happening now
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. swing — music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — of water
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. swing — in golf
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. current — electric

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