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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 116 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: cue · swing · bat · spell · mark · deal · racket · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. spell — magic
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spell — a short time
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. swing — music
  11. bat — the animal
  12. present — there
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. present — the time now
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. spell — letters

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