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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pit — a hole
  3. chest — a box
  4. ground — the earth
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. chest — of your body
  7. fork — in a road
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bound — obliged
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mate — to breed
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pit — in a race
  15. ground — a position
  16. swing — music
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mate — a partner
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mate — a friend
  23. ground — crushed
  24. swing — in golf

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