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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.

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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: land · safe · spring · swing · racket · pop · ball · roll

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. pop — music
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pop — soda
  7. land — to come down
  8. roll — a cake
  9. spring — of water
  10. land — a country
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. spring — the season
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. swing — to play on
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pop — to visit
  22. ball — a great time
  23. land — ground
  24. roll — a list

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