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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. root — the cause
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. root — of a word
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. root — of a plant
  24. last — final

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