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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 116 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: club · sharp · cell · rock · stick · hide · swing · racket

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. sharp — clever
  6. swing — music
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. swing — to play on
  9. club — for golf
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. swing — in golf
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rock — a stone
  15. club — a group
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. club — for dancing
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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