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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: ground · swing · net · snap · coach · bear · bowl · chest

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chest — of your body
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chest — of your body
  9. net — after costs
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. swing — to play on
  12. snap — to click
  13. net — for catching
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chest — a box
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. net — in sport
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. ground — a position

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