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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: rush · dip · chest · cue · swing · racket · bowl · fan

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chest — a box
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. swing — music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. swing — in golf
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cue — for pool
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cue — a hint
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. swing — to play on
  20. chest — of your body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bowl — a dish

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