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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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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: straw · rock · march · mug · racket · season · wind · swing

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. march — music
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rock — music
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. mug — a face
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — music
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. march — the month
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mug — to rob
  17. season — of the year
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mug — a cup
  20. season — in sport
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rock — a stone
  24. march — the month

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