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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bat · racket · swing · chest · can · staff · cue · track

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. can — a tin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. cue — for pool
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. swing — in golf
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cue — a hint
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. swing — to play on
  18. can — to be able to
  19. track — to keep track
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. swing — music
  22. bat — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. staff — employees

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