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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: rash · rock · suit · land · firm · mug · ground · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. firm — steady
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. land — ground
  5. rock — music
  6. mug — a face
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rash — a series
  9. suit — in cards
  10. ground — crushed
  11. suit — clothes
  12. mug — to rob
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rash — hasty
  15. land — to come down
  16. rock — a stone
  17. land — a country
  18. swing — in golf
  19. firm — decided
  20. ground — the earth
  21. firm — a company
  22. mug — a cup
  23. swing — to play on
  24. ground — a position

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