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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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. wake — a trail
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. drill — army training
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rush — hurry
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. ground — crushed
  10. degree — from a university
  11. staff — employees
  12. swing — to play on
  13. staff — employees
  14. foot — a measure
  15. staff — a stick
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. ground — a position
  21. drill — the tool
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. degree — temperature
  24. ground — the earth

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