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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: swing · foot · row · hide · kick · bound · jam · racket

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bound — certain
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bound — obliged
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. swing — music
  19. bound — tied together
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. row — a line
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. row — to paddle
  24. foot — a measure

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