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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: jam · bay · ground · net · scale · club · march · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. ground — the earth
  3. swing — in golf
  4. scale — size or range
  5. net — in sport
  6. club — for dancing
  7. march — music
  8. swing — music
  9. net — after costs
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. ground — a position
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. net — for catching
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for golf
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. ground — crushed
  24. jam — in traffic

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