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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 120 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: calf · swing · spring · bay · ground · net · club · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. net — after costs
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. spring — the season
  6. mug — to rob
  7. ground — crushed
  8. swing — in golf
  9. net — for catching
  10. ground — a position
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mug — a face
  14. club — a group
  15. swing — to play on
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. ground — the earth
  19. swing — music
  20. spring — of water
  21. net — in sport
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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