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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. race — a contest
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. roll — a list
  6. ground — a position
  7. race — humankind
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ground — the earth
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. swing — to play on
  16. race — the arms race
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ground — crushed
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. racket — a loud noise

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