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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: pop · arm · present · swing · ground · racket · rash · spring

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. present — the time now
  3. ground — the earth
  4. spring — of water
  5. ground — a position
  6. swing — in golf
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. present — there
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ground — crushed
  11. spring — the season
  12. swing — music
  13. present — a gift
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rash — a series
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. swing — to play on
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rash — hasty
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pop — music
  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