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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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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: ball · swing · ground · fine · deal · wave · roll · jam

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ground — crushed
  4. roll — a list
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. ground — a position
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. ground — the earth
  13. swing — music
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. fine — all right
  19. ball — a great time
  20. roll — a cake
  21. swing — to play on
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fine — high quality
  24. ball — a round shape

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