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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: jam · mug · racket · rash · spring · court · ground · tear

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. spring — a coil
  3. ground — a position
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. ground — crushed
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mug — a face
  11. ground — the earth
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mug — a cup
  18. court — for sport
  19. spring — the season
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. spring — of water
  24. mug — to rob

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