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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: can · swing · cap · ball · racket · mouse · roll · ground

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. can — to be able to
  6. ground — the earth
  7. roll — a cake
  8. cap — a lid
  9. can — a tin
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cap — of ice
  15. roll — a list
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. ground — crushed
  18. can — a tin
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. ground — a position
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cap — a hat
  23. swing — music
  24. ball — a dance

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