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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: racket · key · kick · mug · ball · ground · straw · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. spring — the season
  2. key — for a lock
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. spring — of water
  6. ground — the earth
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mug — a cup
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. spring — a coil
  14. kick — in football
  15. ground — a position
  16. key — in music
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mug — a face
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  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