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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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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: craft · racket · ground · swing · bay · rush · date · present

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. ground — the earth
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. present — there
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. present — a gift
  14. craft — a skill
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. present — the time now
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ground — a position
  20. craft — boats
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ground — crushed

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