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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. saw — the tool
  3. firm — decided
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. dip — to sink
  7. swing — music
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. spring — of water
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. row — a line
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. firm — a company
  17. foot — a measure
  18. spring — the season
  19. row — to paddle
  20. swing — to play on
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. saw — the tool
  24. firm — steady

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