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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · mug · bat · fan · net · stick · prune · hide

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. net — in sport
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mug — to rob
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. net — for catching
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. mug — a face
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. net — after costs
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. swing — in golf
  24. fan — a supporter

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