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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.

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: rock · rush · swing · spring · stick · pit · game · mouse

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rush — hurry
  4. game — wild animals
  5. spring — of water
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. swing — music
  13. game — a match
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. spring — the season
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rush — a thrill

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