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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cue — for pool
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. chest — of your body
  8. swing — to play on
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pass — a permit
  11. chest — of your body
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. swing — in golf
  15. chest — a box
  16. track — a song
  17. cue — a signal
  18. track — to keep track
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. swing — music
  21. toast — bread
  22. track — a path
  23. cue — a hint
  24. foot — part of the body

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