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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bowl · arm · swing · craft · cue · ball · fan

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cue — for pool
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. craft — boats
  23. swing — music
  24. craft — a skill

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