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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: roll · pound · rush · swing · net · coach · bowl · snap

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. snap — to click
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. roll — a list
  8. net — after costs
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. pound — a weight
  12. roll — a cake
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rush — hurry
  18. swing — music
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. net — in sport
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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