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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: lean · swing · racket · board · cue · bat · row · chip

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cue — a hint
  4. row — a line
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. lean — to bend
  9. board — to get on
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cue — a signal
  14. swing — music
  15. board — a committee
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. cue — for pool
  20. swing — in golf
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lean — thin
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. board — a flat piece

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