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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: rest · leaves · club · ground · swing · net · trunk · press

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rest — what's left
  4. net — in sport
  5. press — newspapers
  6. club — a group
  7. net — after costs
  8. club — for golf
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. swing — to play on
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rest — what's left
  16. club — for dancing
  17. press — to push
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. rest — a break
  21. press — a publisher
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. net — for catching

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