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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 · racket · scale · face · cap · prune · ball · jam

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. face — to point toward
  3. swing — in golf
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. ball — a great time
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cap — a lid
  10. swing — music
  11. cap — of ice
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. face — part of the head
  14. scale — size or range
  15. face — to confront
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. scale — in music
  18. cap — a hat
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ball — a dance
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. racket — for tennis

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