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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: swing · game · track · season · bat · bowl · net · cap

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. net — for catching
  3. game — wild animals
  4. swing — music
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. swing — in golf
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bat — the animal
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. net — in sport
  15. cap — of ice
  16. net — after costs
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bowl — a dish

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