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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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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 · march · game · arm · ground · season · pit · can

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. season — in sport
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. march — the month
  9. can — a tin
  10. season — of the year
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. swing — to play on
  15. ground — a position
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. march — the month
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pit — in a race
  21. march — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. swing — music
  24. arm — part of the body

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