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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: swing · mouse · spring · kick · bowl · cold · pop · mug

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. spring — of water
  7. mug — a cup
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cold — not warm
  13. kick — in football
  14. spring — the season
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. cold — an illness
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pop — soda

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