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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. foot — a measure
  3. stand — to bear
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. swing — music
  9. drill — army training
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. drill — the tool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. swing — to play on
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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