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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 · season · snap · ball · swing · calf · field · hide

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. field — for sport
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. snap — to click
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. field — a subject
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. season — in sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. swing — music
  24. season — of the year

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