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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: lash · racket · mouse · bear · firm · net · swing · spring

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. swing — to play on
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bear — the animal
  5. net — after costs
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. firm — a company
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. net — in sport
  13. swing — music
  14. firm — decided
  15. spring — of water
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. firm — steady
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. net — for catching
  22. spring — the season
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lash — an eyelash

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