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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 120 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: ball · bank · wake · racket · dip · swing · cap · pitcher

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cap — a hat
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bank — for money
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wake — a trail
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. swing — music
  20. bank — for money
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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