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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: track · prune · current · bat · chest · stick · bowl · swing

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. track — a song
  3. swing — music
  4. current — happening now
  5. prune — to trim
  6. track — a path
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bat — the animal
  11. swing — in golf
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. current — electric
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chest — of your body
  22. current — of water
  23. prune — to trim
  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