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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 116 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 · ball · racket · wind · firm · face · swing · prune

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. swing — to play on
  3. firm — steady
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ground — a position
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wind — moving air
  15. firm — decided
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ball — a great time
  18. firm — a company
  19. ball — a dance
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. ground — crushed
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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