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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.

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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 · snap · can · swing · pound · cap · bank · chair

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. pound — a weight
  4. swing — in golf
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. swing — music
  8. cap — of ice
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. can — a tin
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bank — of a river
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cap — a lid
  20. can — a tin
  21. chair — a leader
  22. can — to be able to
  23. snap — to click
  24. swing — to play on

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