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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 120 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: cue · ball · can · court · ground · swing · row · rest

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rest — what's left
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cue — a hint
  6. ball — a great time
  7. can — to be able to
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rest — what's left
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. ball — a dance
  15. court — of a king
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cue — for pool
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. ground — a position
  21. can — a tin
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rest — a break
  24. swing — music

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