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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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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: bay · swing · racket · bowl · deal · squash · bore · rule

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. swing — music
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bore — to tire
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rule — government
  18. squash — to crush
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bore — to drill
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bore — gave birth

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