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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 116 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 · bay · pop · patient · ball · ground · squash · swing

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rest — a break
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. ground — crushed
  13. squash — the sport
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ground — a position
  16. ball — a great time
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pop — to visit
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. swing — to play on
  24. squash — the vegetable

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