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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: wind · swing · bowl · jam · row · ground · mouse · spell

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. swing — music
  4. spell — letters
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wind — moving air
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. ground — a position
  18. swing — to play on
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. spell — magic
  22. row — a line
  23. spell — a short time
  24. wind — moving air

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