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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: rush · mouse · rash · stick · track · ground · present · swing

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ground — a position
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ground — the earth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rash — a series
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rash — hasty
  21. present — the time now
  22. rush — hurry
  23. track — to keep track
  24. swing — in golf

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