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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: swing · bowl · roll · pop · branch · present · lash · bat

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. present — there
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pop — soda
  11. roll — a list
  12. pop — to visit
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. present — the time now
  17. branch — a division
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bat — the animal
  20. swing — to play on
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pop — music
  23. present — a gift
  24. lash — an eyelash

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