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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. degree — temperature
  4. face — to confront
  5. foot — a measure
  6. degree — from a university
  7. staff — employees
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. face — to point toward
  16. file — a document
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. file — a line of people
  19. degree — an amount
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. face — part of the head
  22. swing — in golf
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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