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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: mug · swing · net · ball · hide · spell · mark · straw

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. mug — a cup
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a dance
  7. swing — music
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mark — a grade
  10. ball — a great time
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. net — after costs
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mark — a trace
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mug — a face
  20. spell — a short time
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. mug — to rob
  24. hide — to keep secret

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