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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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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: cabinet · swing · track · squash · court · can · racket · bass

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bass — the fish
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. court — of a king
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. squash — to crush
  8. swing — music
  9. track — a path
  10. squash — the sport
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. swing — in golf
  13. can — to be able to
  14. court — of law
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. swing — to play on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. track — to keep track
  21. can — a tin
  22. track — a song
  23. bass — low music
  24. can — a tin

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