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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: racket · date · swing · trunk · rock · pitcher · stick · ball

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rock — music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. swing — music
  16. date — the fruit
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. ball — a dance
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. swing — to play on
  24. date — on the calendar

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