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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: racket · foot · season · swing · branch · straw · fan · saw

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. branch — a division
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. season — of the year
  11. saw — the tool
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. swing — music
  18. foot — a measure
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. swing — to play on
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. season — in sport
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. saw — the tool

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