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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · ground · mine · track · swing · suit · plane · present

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rest — what's left
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. present — the time now
  7. rest — what's left
  8. plane — a tool
  9. swing — to play on
  10. present — a gift
  11. suit — in cards
  12. ground — a position
  13. present — there
  14. ground — crushed
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. suit — to fit
  18. swing — in golf
  19. track — a path
  20. mine — for digging
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. swing — music
  24. plane — in geometry

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