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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: racket · ruler · spell · present · pit · fall · ground · swing

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. ground — crushed
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pit — in a race
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. swing — to play on
  15. ground — the earth
  16. spell — magic
  17. pit — a hole
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ground — a position
  21. present — the time now
  22. fall — the season
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. racket — a loud noise

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