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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · swing · spring · net · calf · wax · court · racket

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. present — there
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. wax — to grow
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. present — a gift
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. court — of law
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. spring — of water
  15. net — in sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. court — for sport
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. present — the time now

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