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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
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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: swing · tube · date · mug · ground · wave · racket · bark

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. ground — a position
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. ground — crushed
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. swing — music
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mug — a face
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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