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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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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: racket · foot · key · swing · nail · chair · kid · wake

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. swing — in golf
  4. chair — a leader
  5. swing — to play on
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kid — to tease
  8. key — in music
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. key — the most important part
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. kid — child
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. swing — music
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. key — for a lock
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. wake — a trail
  23. foot — a measure
  24. nail — for a hammer

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